Support pillars serve an important role in a
home, but sometimes they are placed inconveniently in a home. They might be
randomly in the middle of a room or a walkway as if the home builders just
decided that it was good enough when they placed it. Unfortunately, with
support pillars, even if they are poorly placed, you cannot remove them without
considerable costs and often quite a bit of construction to make the
surrounding walls able to support the weight that the pillar had been holding
up. So, what is a homeowner to do when dealing with a thoughtlessly placed
pillar they cannot remove? Find a way to make it look better. In this article,
we will look at how to make an ugly pillar attractive using faux stone.
Why faux stone to improve an ugly pillar?
When you need to transform an ugly pillar, faux stone is excellent because it is an affordable DIY solution. It is usually not more than ¾ inch in thickness, so it will not add a ton of bulk to the existing pillar, which is good when the pillar is already in the way and taking up too much space that could better be used on other things. Faux stone also comes in various colours and patterns, so you can inevitably find one that works with the colour scheme of the rest of your home, making the pillar blend in a little more. If you are a DIYer, you probably want to make the pillar look nicer on your own, but using real stone or brick is difficult to do on your own; it usually requires a professional mason's help. Plus, it does not make the mess that stone or brick makes; they can just screw right into the existing pillars, so you can transform that ugly pillar in your home in no time.
Faux
stone is perfect for an indoor or outdoor support pillar that you want to
improve the look of. It is waterproof and durable, so it can handle being on
your home's exterior during a storm without sustaining much, if any, damage.
What if the pillar is round?
Faux Stone Pillar Wainscoting
If you do not want to have the faux stone
around the entire pillar, just around the bottom half of it, you can easily do
that as a wainscoting project. To give the faux stone the top that it needs to
look finished, you can add some trim pieces too, which will complete the look.
You can paint the top half of the pillar in a color that complements the stone
and add some décor to it to make it stand out.
Other Tips to Improve an Ugly Pillar
Install Fake Support Beams
In addition to installing faux stone around
your pillar, you can also add some fake support beams to the ceiling, which
will make the pillar's placement look a little less random than it currently
does. This should make the placement look a little more thoughtful than it
might currently appear to be. You will need to add them in more areas than just
near the pillar, though, so it looks intentional. Otherwise, the support beams
may continue the random look of the pillar and make it draw more attention.
Wrap the Pillar in Vines
You can also get some silk vines to wrap
around the pillar to make it more attractive or something similar that works
better with your interior design.
Add Shelves
Another unique idea for a wainscoting pillar
is to install small bookshelves around the top half of the pillar. This makes
it more functional and gives you another place to store your books and take
some off of your overflowing shelves. You can also add bookshelves to the
entire thing with the faux stone as the background behind the bookshelves,
making it an even more unique space.
Final Thoughts
While this randomly placed, ugly pillar that
is sitting in the middle of the room is currently an unsightly inconvenience,
faux stone can transform it into something that is unique and beautiful, and it
is great for the DIYer on a budget. In just a few hours, your pillar can become
something beautiful and feel like it actually belongs in the room.
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