Open floor plans create a spacious, airy feeling that appeals to many of today’s homeowners. However, without traditional borders, the living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms often bleed into one another, resulting in an undefined sprawl. A beautiful and effective solution to this problem is the incorporation of well-placed architectural columns. Correctly used, columns delineate the rooms without disrupting the original architectural intentions.
In this home, fluted columns with Greek Erectheum capitals have been used to separate the living room (unseen), a center hall, and the dining room, providing a more contemporary living arrangement in a traditional setting.
On this Martha Stewart project, a wall was removed, and fluted columns with denticulated Roman Doric capitals and Attic (Ionic) bases were added to expand the space.
Here, two sets of Tuscan columns separate the casual living room, a stair landing, and the kitchen, providing visual access to all spaces while still creating a sense of borders.
Faux-finished wood columns and pilasters with custom plinths, Attic bases, and Empire with Necking capitals delineate the grand entrance from the formal living area.
Octagonal columns and pilasters with Attic bases and denticulated Roman Doric capitals create an open hallway between living areas.
Fluted denticulated Roman Doric columns on custom pedestals demarcate the entrance into different rooms.
Columns and pilasters with Attic bases and denticulated Roman Doric capitals provide a perfect, subtle delineation between an entrance hall and the (unseen) living room.
Greek Doric columns, with Doric flutes separate the stairway and the foyer.