Interior columns can take up a great deal of room in a home or office. Sometimes, you might consider this area to be unusable. However, you can make use of this space by installing custom seating. This is one of the best ways to make use of freestanding interior columns in any room.
Getting Started Installing Custom Seating
Before you start on this project, be sure to measure out the area thoroughly and accurately. Measure the dimensions of the column you will use first. Then, measure out how much room is free surrounding the column to see how much space is available for the custom seating.
Safety Concerns
First and foremost, make sure the column is of structure and can have a bench or seating area built around the base. The seating area will need to withstand someone standing and sitting or possibly reclining back against the column a little while sitting down.
Shapes for the Seats
Once you know how much room you have to spare, then it is time to decide what shape to build the seat. Circular or rectangular seats could work the best in most situations, but circular will probably take up less space than a rectangular option. Oval might be a good compromise between the two options, too. The shape is mostly dictated by the amount of free space available, though. It should not be difficult to sit down or stand up from any angle of the seat you are building. It also should not be placed in the way of movement throughout the rest of the area either.
Materials for the Seat
There are many options when it comes to the materials that can be used to build the seats. If masonry or tiles are part of the room design already, those elements might be able to claim incorporation into the seat, too. The same can be said for wood designs, also. However, most interior designs might call for the use of fabric. This fabric needs to be durable and, like with the other options, should match the design in the room. The fabric’s durability is important during the design process as your cushion is going to be a backrest around the column above the seat.
Storage inside Seating
These seats do not have to be all about taking up space for the sake of having a comfortable place to park yourself in a room. They can also be made to house storage under the seat. This option can be a great one for creating extra organizational room and hiding places in space while allowing for more seating, too.
These are only a few things to consider when wanting to build a seat into an interior column. You can choose from endless design ideas, but they should be practical and should fit the space they are going in instead of fighting against it.