Interior columns, what to do?

[89th]

Our living room and dining room are separated by two pedestals with white columns on either side. See pics below (this is from the listing before we moved in). We are doing some painting and carpets soon and we are thinking of replacing or removing them. Any ideas?

Your possible answers are:

1. 89th, they look great, just keep them!
2. Obscure/hide them by squaring off the base up to the ceiling touchpoint with drywall.
3. Knock those suckers down and have no separation between the two rooms.
4. Another idea (explain)

Note that the living room has one of those really high ceilings (wasn't my preference, but I've come to enjoy it) whereas the dining room ceiling is a standard height, maybe 9 feet.

(I added the last picture as it is today, to show detail of the base a bit more)

[Ivorythumper]

@89th said in Interior columns, what to do?:

by squaring off the base up to the ceiling touchpoint with drywall.
Knock those suckers down and have no separation betw

You need an architect.

I'm an architect.

[89th]

@ivorythumper I welcome your ideas!

[Mik]

If they are load bearing you would need a lam beam on the ceiling line to get rid of them. I'd do that and knock down the wall into the kitchen and the wall with the door into the kitchen. Could get expensive.

I would not wrap them with drywall. It would be kludgy.

[89th]

@mik said in Interior columns, what to do?:

If they are load bearing you would need a lam beam on the ceiling line to get rid of them. I'd do that and knock down the wall into the kitchen and the wall with the door into the kitchen. Could get expensive.

I would not wrap them with drywall. It would be kludgy.

I don't think they are load bearing but certainly will find out before we'd knock them down. Good feedback though. I think they may look fine as-is with updating painting, carpet, and furniture...

[Mik]

Like so:

[Axtremus]

If those columns are not load bearing and you plan to live in that place for a long time, I'd take them out and leave no separation between the two rooms. Good luck.

[89th]

Here is a really quick photoshop job to see how "closed off" the space might feel if we just enclosed them up to the ceiling.

My wife's main 2 points of concern are:

1. This turning into a long project that will delay the carpet/paint.
2. Making the space feel too closed off.

My main point is, if we are going to do something with the columns at some point, to do it now. Just not sure what (or if it's needed at all).

[Mik]

It would look nice to put a wood wrapped beam there under the red line. A solid wood one would be prohibitively expensive, but wrapped would be a nice touch.

[89th]

@mik said in Interior columns, what to do?:

It would look nice to put a wood wrapped beam there under the red line. A solid wood one would be prohibitively expensive, but wrapped would be a nice touch.

That's a great idea.... I'll run it past La Jefe!

[Catseye3]

One time I had an idea I wanted to implement that involved removing a door-door and installing a pocket door. I had a contractor in to look at this. He took one glance and told me the beam I wanted hollowed out (to accommodate the pocket door) was load bearing and couldn't be weakened that way.

So that is my first thought in your deal. To what extent are the columns load bearing? Probably any guys you get in will advise you on this . . . or maybe IT will.

My only other thought is a matter of taste; the columns look like gilding the lily to me. I'd want to disappear them for that reason. But that's me, you may not agree.

[Jolly]

@ivorythumper said in Interior columns, what to do?:

@89th said in Interior columns, what to do?:

by squaring off the base up to the ceiling touchpoint with drywall.
Knock those suckers down and have no separation betw

You need an architect.

I'm an architect.

This.

[Mik]

Are you putting in new carpet or a solid surface? Whatever way you go here it will cost a few shekels. You might be better off to just go ahead and carpet and paint for now and wait until you live there a while and get a comprehensive plan for the whole floor.

If you did the beam, knocked out the kitchen wall and got some modern metal stair rails it would modernize the whole floor.

[Mik]

All you need is Mik's Loan Sharking Service.

[Doctor Phibes]

@mik said in Interior columns, what to do?:

All you need is Mik's Loan Sharking Service.

He also doesn't need an architect, what he needs is some explosives. I could probably cobble something together for a very reasonable price. We could team up!

[kluurs]

I had a neighbor who worked for the "family." He'd suggest a "controlled fire." I was always nervous when he visited the fire-trap home I owned at the time.

[89th]

Ok here are 4 photoshopped images:

1. Squared off (hide columns) and continue to ceiling.
2. Removal of columns and pedestals, leave everything else.
3. Same as that, but lift ceiling to current dining room height (so it's flat, not arched)
4. Same as that, but add a wood beam.

[89th]

@catseye3 said in Interior columns, what to do?:

One time I had an idea I wanted to implement that involved removing a door-door and installing a pocket door. I had a contractor in to look at this. He took one glance and told me the beam I wanted hollowed out (to accommodate the pocket door) was load bearing and couldn't be weakened that way.

So that is my first thought in your deal. To what extent are the columns load bearing? Probably any guys you get in will advise you on this . . . or maybe IT will.

My only other thought is a matter of taste; the columns look like gilding the lily to me. I'd want to disappear them for that reason. But that's me, you may not agree.

Thanks for the feedback! Yes a lot depends if it's load bearing or not.

[89th]

@mik said in Interior columns, what to do?:

Are you putting in new carpet or a solid surface? Whatever way you go here it will cost a few shekels. You might be better off to just go ahead and carpet and paint for now and wait until you live there a while and get a comprehensive plan for the whole floor.

If you did the beam, knocked out the kitchen wall and got some modern metal stair rails it would modernize the whole floor.

Carpet... and there's really nice millwork throughout so I think we'll keep the wood railings (etc). I don't think we'd knock out the wall, but I did add the wood beam (and ceiling raise) idea in the 3rd and 4th photoshopped images above. I like the wood beam idea, if we went that route.

[Mik]

It seems to define that area a bit better. Leaving the arch without the pedestals looks imbalanced and with no trim at all it looks austere.