Creative & Charming Column Design Ideas

Explore creative column design ideas that showcase how cost-effective, easy-to-install non-structural column wraps and sleeves can elevate your interior and exterior columns from conventional to incredible.

By ABBY winstead Design Specialist

Columns can take a home from ordinary to extraordinary. They add architectural character, sophistication, and visual interest to both interior and exterior spaces.

Even better, they’re a simple upgrade to make with the right materials. Column wraps and sleeves from Barron Designs are an affordable option that will allow you to elevate your home’s look and feel with stunning, customizable solutions. Whether you’re refreshing existing columns or installing new ones, our wide range of styles, finishes, and colors ensures the perfect fit for your design vision.

Below, we’ll explore eight standout exterior and interior column design ideas, review DIY-friendly installation resources, and highlight the top products that can help bring these trends to life.

Exterior Column Design Ideas & Trends

From elegant entryways to comfortable back porches and outdoor living spaces, these exterior column design ideas will inspire you to upgrade your own outdoor spaces.

Enhance Your Home’s Craftsman Theme

Colorado Dry Stack Column Wrap in Sierra Brown and Barn Board Column Wrap in Charred Brown for front porch design — Colorado Dry Stack Column Wrap in Sierra Brown and Barn Board Column Wrap in Charred Brown

Exterior column enhancements impact curb appeal and add architectural beauty to homes of all kinds. Column upgrades add style and sophistication, and with the right materials, they can create a Craftsman-inspired look that imbues a sense of tranquility and connectivity with the natural world.

That’s the idea behind the example above. Timeless Colorado Dry Stack stone column wraps integrate the beauty and solidity of natural stone into these columns, and the Barn Board Wood Column Wraps further enhance the nature-inspired Craftsman look of this home.

Our Colorado Dry Stack column wraps come in eight premium colors and four standard colors — plus they offer enhanced UV protection for sunny spots. You can also work directly with Barron’s expert-led customer service team to customize the perfect column wraps for your home.

Pair Stone & Wood Column Wraps for a Natural Feel

Colorado Dry Stack Stone Column Wrap in Iced Coffee for front porch design — Colorado Dry Stack Stone Column Wrap in Iced Coffee

Embrace the harmony of the natural world by alternating Colorado Dry Stack faux stone column wraps with Wire-Brushed wood column wraps on your front porch. The combination of patterns and colors pairs perfectly with a range of exterior siding types. They also create a fantastic backdrop for the natural elements in your landscape by combining nature-inspired elements like wood, stone, and greenery.

The best way to leverage this theme is to combine faux stone column wraps and wood column wraps together on one post, with stone on the bottom and wood on the top. You can then create an elegant bridge between the two with a stately split post column cap.

Add Rustic Charm to Your Back Porch or Patio

Wire Brushed Wood Column Wraps in White Wash for back patio design — Wire Brushed Wood Column Wraps in White Wash

Create a sense of warmth and charm on your back porch or patio with Wire Brushed Wood Column Wraps, which offer organic appeal. These column wraps upgrade existing supportive columns that, while they may keep your porch in place, do nothing to enhance its aesthetic value.

A Pro Tip To Try: Once your wood column wraps are in place, grow vining plants up one or two columns to create a sense of natural beauty. This will help harmonize your outdoor living area with its natural surroundings.

Upgrade Fences or Mailbox Posts With Post Sleeves

Ashford Ledgestone Column Post Cover in Gray for fencing — Ashford Ledgestone Column Post Cover in Gray

Porches and outdoor living spaces aren’t the only exterior areas that you can upgrade with our column sleeves and wraps. You can also use faux stone column sleeves to upgrade fences and mailbox posts.

That’s what these homeowners did in the above example. With our Ashford Ledgestone Column Post Covers, they updated the fence flanking their driveway to create an elegant gateway to their property.

Interior Column Design Ideas & Trends

Interior columns aren’t just structural elements. They’re a distinct interior design opportunity. Turn bland support beams into statement pieces with faux wood and stone column wraps that add warmth, texture, and character to your interior rooms.

Choose Columns That Harmonize With Your Interior Decor

You can use any of our wood or stone column wraps to define spaces within an open-concept living area. Columns can subtly "zone" areas within a large room, creating natural flow and structure without disrupting the open feel.

Choose a texture and finish that harmonizes with your décor. For example, in rustic spaces, wood column wraps may be the way to go, while contemporary spaces may benefit from the look and feel of stone.

Not sure which color works best? Order column samples to see firsthand how the tones complement your space.

Use Stone Wraps to Match the Existing Stone in Your Living Room

Colorado Dry Stack Stone Column Wraps in Sierra Brown

If you have existing stone elements within your exterior spaces, our selection of faux stone column wraps will enable you to match those elements perfectly. For example, the living space above introduces the look of stone with our Sierra Brown Colorado Dry Stack faux stone panels on the kitchen island—and then reinforces this theme by wrapping the nearby interior column in a Colorado Dry Stack stone column wrap for a cohesive, elevated look.

To get the look just right within your home, be sure to order column samples so that you can compare our column wraps to other finishes within your living space.

Add Visual Appeal to Basement Columns

Colorado Dry Stack Stone Column Wraps & Wall Panels - both in Motley Gray

Basement columns are often unsightly poles that do nothing to add beauty to the surrounding space. Borrowing from the living room column design idea above, you can also wrap your basement columns in Colorado Dry Stack Stone narrow wraps. For a complete redesign, pair your wrapped columns with faux stone accent walls or a home bar wrapped in faux stone to create an inviting basement retreat.

Use Barn Board Columns to Create Rustic Basement Elegance

Create a rich, cabin-inspired atmosphere by wrapping basement columns in Barn Board wood column wraps. If you’re considering a larger remodel or transforming an unfinished basement to a finished space, consider incorporating the following elements, too:

Luxury vinyl plank flooring in a woodgrain texture.
Wooden shelving or mantels plus furniture that complements the column wraps.
Soft lighting and earth tones or neutral shades for a cozy, cohesive look.

DIY Column Design Installation Resources

Barron Designs makes DIY column upgrades simple. Our lightweight, durable, and easy-to-install materials allow homeowners to achieve professional-quality results—without hiring a contractor.

Column installation is a breeze with our step-by-step guides:

And for additional assistance, our customer support team is always available to guide you through the process.

Explore More Column Design Examples & Inspiration

Barron Designs makes DIY column upgrades simple. Our lightweight, durable, and easy-to-install materials allow homeowners to achieve professional-quality results—without hiring a contractor.

Column installation is a breeze with our step-by-step guides:

And for additional assistance, our customer support team is always available to guide you through the process.