How to Hide a Pillar in Living Room – Column Decoration Ideas!

Don’t let a pillar or column in the middle of your living room stand in the way of creating the living space you dream of! The right decor can hide or minimize the appearance of a pillar while also expressing your unique, personal interior design style.

Pillars are often weight-bearing and therefore, impossible to remove. An inconveniently placed pillar in your living room can be a major annoyance when placing furniture and a headache to decorate.

There are several effective ways to hide a pillar in your living room. For starters, you can integrate the pillar into your living room by using it for storage, lighting, or seating. You can also decorate a pillar using lights, plants, mirrors, and different textured adhesive tiles so that it blends in with the rest of your living room decor.

Make the Pillar Useful with Shelving

Adding shelving to a pillar will integrate it into your room in a useful way. The column will look more like an intentional piece of furniture in your living room. Not only that, but it will also add valuable extra storage space for everything from books to plants and decorations!

Place Bookshelves or Cabinets Against Pillar

If you would rather not hang shelves on the pillar itself, simply place a bookshelf you already own in front of the pillar.

This will look best on pillars that are near a wall. The taller the bookshelf, the better it will conceal the pillar!

Shelves can also help make the most of tight spaces between a pillar and the wall. Add a shelf between the pillar and the wall along with a comfy chair to create a cozy reading nook!

Floating Shelves

Using floating shelves hung on the pillar you can create the illusion that the pillar is actually a piece of furniture that serves a purpose in your living room.

Floating shelves come in a variety of colors and shapes to suit your style. Hang them on one side for a bookshelf look or hang them on all sides on the pillar for even more storage space. Removing them isn’t much of a hassle either.

For round pillars that won’t fit a long, straight shelf you can use smaller, single mount shelves. These are great for holding a vase, plant, or other small decorative objects. Try hanging them asymmetrically around your pillar for a fun, modern look!

Attach Mirrors to Open up Your Space

Mirrors are great for making any space appear bigger and brighter! When placed on a pillar they help to camouflage it into your space.

You can use large frameless mirrors that stick directly onto the pillar to reflect more light around your living room and direct attention away from the pillar.

Alternatively, you can use geometric mirror stickers, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes, to express your unique style. These offer a very unique fun look that you can easily customize and integrate with other decor or art!

Use the Pillar for Lighting

Minimize the appearance of your pillar while also brightening up your living room. Try placing any floor lamps that you already own in front of the pillar. Placing a lamp and armchair near the pillar can create a comfortable space for reading.

Hanging lights on the pillar is another great option with lots of opportunities for creativity. You can hang wall lamps on the pillar for a neat and finished look. String lights wrapped around a pillar are an even easier way to add cozy, warm light to your living room.

Another option is to use flexible LED light strips. With these, you can change the color of light to match any mood. The light strip can be wrapped around the pillar, run up and down it vertically, or be manipulated into a unique shape. The possibilities are endless!

Integrate Countertops, Desk, or Tables

Placing a desk or tabletop up against the pillar can create the illusion that it is a part of the furniture in your room. Try putting your desk next to the pillar and hanging shelves on the pillar for extra storage.

If the pillar is near your kitchen in an open floor plan, try putting an extra countertop next to the pillar. You can then add hooks to the pillar to create more storage for pans, utensils, or even a spice rack.

You can also use the pillar as the center of a tabletop surface surrounded by chairs. Hang the tabletop at normal table height or try bar height paired with stools. This is a great option for anyone who loves to entertain or throw parties.

Plants

Cover your pillar with plants that will bring more green into your living room. Either place a large plant on the floor next to the pillar, set them on a shelf, or use a wall hook to hang them. Long hanging plants like ivy will look especially great!

If it matches the style of your space, ivy or similar fake plant garlands can look great wrapped around your pillar. These can even be switched out at different times of the year for seasonal decorations. Try red and yellow Fall leaves around Halloween time and a pine garland for Christmas!

Hang TV or Art

Rather than hiding your pillar, use it to display art, photographs, or your TV.

If the pillar is in the right location, using it to hang your TV can not only disguise the pillar but also make it much easier to hide bulky stands, cables and cords. Those cables can be wrapped around the back of the pillar and run down the backside to be plugged in.

Hanging art or photos on your pillar is another great way to utilize the extra wall space. This way you are using the pillar to display something important that adds your style and personality to your living room.

Pillar Seating

For a fun, retro look try a round sofa surrounding your pillar. Look for modular sofas or seating that can be placed surrounding the bottom of the pillar in a circle.

Modular furniture to match your space exactly can be a bit expensive and tricky to find. Create your own using simple benches placed around the pillar. Top the benches with cushions, pillows, and throw blankets for added coziness.

Create an Entertainment Center for Kids

For anyone with kids, a pillar can be turned into the ultimate play center. Your kids will love to have a space that’s all their own.

Because it’s in the living room, it will be much easier to keep an eye on them while they play, unlike monitoring them outside while they’re playing with helium balloons.

Cover the pillar, or at least the lower half, in chalkboard paint to provide hours of fun for kids and adults alike. Add another section of magnet paint and use magnet letters or puzzles for even more entertainment and educational opportunities!

Hanging storage bins or floating bookshelves on the pillar will help keep toys organized and off of the floor. Additionally, if the pillar is near a wall you can connect a blanket or curtain to the pillar with a wall hook and then drape it over to the wall to create a fun tent that kids will love to spend time in!

Create a Bar Area with a Bar Cart and Lighting

Using a bar cart and some creative lighting and decor you can turn your pillar into a stylish bar area. Place the bar cart up against the pillar and stock it up with your favorite drinks, glasses, and maybe even a cocktail set.

Get creative decorating above your bar cart! Add a mirror, lighting fixtures, artwork, plants, or anything that suits your style to create a space that you and your house guests will love. A customized neon sign can accent the space and add a unique touch to the atmosphere.

Embrace the Pillar: Cover or Paint to Make It a Feature

Getting a pillar to blend into your living room can be as easy as painting it or covering it with other textured materials to go with the style of your home.

Covering the pillar with a raw wood look can go with many styles from industrial to rustic farmhouse. Real wood or self-adhesive wood panels will give it a great authentic look, or to save money and time you can simply apply wood pattern contact paper.

If you have a rounded pillar, marble contact paper might be right for you. This will give your room a classic, refined look. Peel and stick tiles are another great option that can range from classic, clean white tile looks to bright, bold accent tiles that will make a statement.

For a trendy, industrial look you can use easy and realistic faux brick wallpaper. You can find brick wallpaper in many colors and styles, whether you want warm, classic red bricks or bright, white bricks.

For a beach house-inspired nautical look, wrap thick rope tightly around the pillar. Cover the entire pillar from floor to ceiling or just the bottom third to leave the upper portion available for hanging art.

Final Thoughts

There are many creative ways to decorate columns and pillars in your home. Use the tips above and get creative to turn your pillar from an eyesore to your favorite feature!