About Decorative Columns — An Overview

Gone are the days when decorative columns were used to enhance the architectural beauty of palaces. Nowadays, they are extensively used in residential and commercial buildings to add a touch of class and elegance. They lend strength to a structure and make it aesthetically beautiful. They are also used to divide areas. You can use columns in a long hallway to mark different areas without wasting space.

Decorative columns are available in different types of materials and styles. Some of the materials used for columns are polyurethane, wood, fiberglass, plaster, and aluminum. Among styles, Roman & Greek columns are the preferred ones.

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Greek Decorative Columns:
As the name implies, these columns are inspired from the Greek architecture. There are three types of decorative columns in Greek architecture.

Doric:
This is considered to be the oldest styles of columns that originated in 600 BC in western Greece. This is the simplest style of columns. It does not have a base and its shaft consists of twenty flutes or grooves that run from the bottom to the top. Just above the neck of the column, there is a convex or bowl-shaped echinus and above it, lies a flat abacus. Usually, the height of this type of column is eight times its diameter.

Ionic:
This style originated in 400 BC in eastern Greece. The Ionic column is more decorative than the Doric column. It consists of a round base, the shaft is slender than the one in a Doric column, and its capital has volutes or scrolls.

Corinthian:
The Corinthian Column is the most stylish and decorative of the Greek columns. Apart from volutes or scrolls, the capital consists of carvings of flowers and acanthus leaves. Its shaft is narrower than the ones in the Ionic columns. The height of the column is ten times its diameter.

Roman Columns:
Roman architecture widely uses various variations of Greek decorative columns. They also have their own unique and distinct column styles – Tuscan and Composite.

Tuscan:
This is considered to be an adaptation of the Doric column style. However, the Tuscan Column much simpler than the Doric column and consists of a simple shaft and capital. The shaft is often unfluted and the base is missing.

Composite:
This style is inspired from both the Ionic column and the Corinthian column. It consists of scrolls and carvings of flowers and leaves.

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While choosing decorative columns, it is important to keep the purpose of installing them in mind. This will help you decide the material, dimensions, and load bearing capacity of the column. If you want a column for decorative purposes, like for holding vases or lights, then any column that goes well with the décor of the place would serve the purpose. But, if you want the column to support a structure, you should consult an architect.

The choice of material should also depend on the area where you want to install the column. For example, if you want a column for the garden area, you should use fiberglass columns that can withstand different elements of nature.

Buying decorative columns has become quite easy with the presence of online stores. Not only do they have a huge variety of columns, but they also offer them at competitive rates.