How to hide a beam, column, projection,... inside a home

Many of you ask me how to disguise, cover, or hide a protruding beam, column, or other structural element.

Normally they are headaches since whether we like it or not, that beam or column is not going to disappear and we have to live with it.

And the truth is that little can be done to hide it or to hide it. We have three solutions:

Encase it with a plasterboard or masonry partition.

Integrate it into the decoration.

Highlight it in the decoration.

And that is what we are going to see next, some decorative tricks for «hide», conceal, integrate or highlight that beam or column What a headache is giving you.

We start:

Integrate, hide and camouflage the beam or pillar with paint

Living room designed by the stylist Souraya Hassan from Binti Home

The first and easiest of all is to integrate that column, beam or ridge into the decoration by painting it the same as the rest of the wall. This is the fastest and easiest way to hide a column.

Above these lines we see a large mochete that has been painted the same color and point. No more. It integrates perfectly into the decoration. Without resorting to works or other more elaborate methods.

Let's see more examples.

REFURBISHMENT AND INTERIOR DESIGN BY ESTUDIO SINCRO

That pillar behind the sofa is totally necessary to maintain the structure and architecture of the floor. It cannot be played unless a great work is done and in some cases not even like that. Solution? The Sincro interior design studio chose to paint it the same as the rest of the walls and comfortably integrate it into the decoration of the space with simplicity and elegance.

Bruguer photography and colors

In this set by Bruguer where we see the Palo de Rosa color combined with a terracotta, we can also see the large mochet on the wall and how it has been painted exactly the same as the rest of the room. No more. Fast and effective.

With the beams or joists of the ceiling we can do the same. Notice in the room above these lines the bracing beam that crosses the room.

If it had been painted white, it would stand out much more than painted in the color of the walls, making the beam integrate without any problem.

Other ways to integrate and hide a pillar, column or beam

Interior Design Decor Aid

The Decor Aid studio decided to leave the ceiling structure of this original bedroom exposed, the authentic part of the building, to give the space character and personality.

Sometimes, what is different, what is authentic, what is original, looks good. It does not need to be disguised or hidden, but on the contrary, displayed with pride.

Let's see another.

Now look at the part where the dining room is divided from the living room area, where the red ends. Do you see the pillar?

In this case it has been decorated with moldings creating a very elegant decorative pillar.

Just as it has been decorated in this way, it can be covered and decorated in many other ways, depending on your tastes and style.

Highlight or create contrast with the beam, column, boss, butt, etc.

These ideas that we have just seen are to integrate and hide these elements, but as I said at the beginning, there is another solution, and it is totally the opposite: Highlight them, make them part of the decoration by "playing" with them, as we see below:

The arch and pillar could have been painted using the same decorative painting technique that is applied to the walls.

However, it was decided to leave them plain in the same color as the technique, creating an interesting contrast and making these elements stand out more. And the result is good.

Look at the pillar in this room, in the corner.

It has been left completely bare, in concrete, creating an attractive contrast with the entire flat which is decorated entirely in white.

The element could have been painted completely white, but instead it was left bare to add an interesting touch to the space.

Photo and work: Pedro Painter

In this other work, the painter applied an Atmosphere painting technique in black to the walls, leaving the moche without technique and covered in another light tone precisely to generate contrast.

If you can not beat them, join him.

This goes to say that if you cannot hide that beam or pillar, perhaps you can highlight it and make it an active part of the decoration.

Photography Laura Gummerman Instagram Gummergal

This other space decorated in white has a dark wooden floor, and if you look at the ceiling beam, it could have been painted white to integrate it into the decoration.

However, it was painted dark, just like the floor, to generate contrast and show it off on the ceiling. Without complex.

As you can see, with a bit of imagination, what was initially a headache has become a fantastic ally for decorating our home.

Another example: Orange walls, and black beam. Nothing to hide it, but this helps us to decorate the room generating contrast and creating a color palette for the two-tone room.

So what is the best solution for you? Well, the one you like the most, without more. Either you integrate it or you highlight it. There is no other solution without doing major work.

And if you don't know how to decorate it, here you can see 40 ideas to decorate the walls.