I hate columns

[Anonymous]

I just really hate columns. We are looking at larger houses and can't find any houses that have those ugly round columns all over the interior. Has anyone completely removed these from their house? How do you go about this and how much expense is involved?

[Anonymous]

Yeah that's 90s homes. Newer ones user normal square ones

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just really hate columns. We are looking at larger houses and can't find any houses that have those ugly round columns all over the interior. Has anyone completely removed these from their house? How do you go about this and how much expense is involved?

Just look at smaller houses.

Honestly though you can maybe remove the plastic columns and drywall around the support post instead but to have nothing at all you will need to get an engineer involved and support beams and such.

Also look at smaller houses. It sounds like you’re looking not just at large homes but at homes with gigantor living spaces so the houses are probably fug.

[Anonymous]

You can do it. I’ve seen photos of a decorator/designer I like. She frequently brings a 90s house up to date and this is a staple to the process. I’m tempted to say it’s not expensive but everything here is.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to imagine a recent house with lots of interior columns that doesn't have other architectural flaws. Maybe you should be looking at different types of houses.

[Anonymous]

I don't want a smaller home and we're not up for dealing with a new build. There has to be feasible way to bring up a 90s home. We are avoiding ones with the catwalk overlook over the foyer and 2 story great rooms but the others are fine from a layout standpoint. Its just that the finishes are so bad.

We've figured out how to cost most of the changes but the columns are an unknown.

Shiny marble fireplaces - replace and or cover with faux stone and woodwork (not honey oak)
Shiny marble entry way - replace with hardwood
90s kitchen -replace cabinets and counter top
Whirlpool tub and cheap walk in brass shower doors - pull out replace tub, retile, add nice wood vanities and separate mirrors

Can a general home inspector tell whether a column is structural or just decorative or would we need a structural engineer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't want a smaller home and we're not up for dealing with a new build. There has to be feasible way to bring up a 90s home. We are avoiding ones with the catwalk overlook over the foyer and 2 story great rooms but the others are fine from a layout standpoint. Its just that the finishes are so bad.

We've figured out how to cost most of the changes but the columns are an unknown.

Shiny marble fireplaces - replace and or cover with faux stone and woodwork (not honey oak)
Shiny marble entry way - replace with hardwood
90s kitchen -replace cabinets and counter top
Whirlpool tub and cheap walk in brass shower doors - pull out replace tub, retile, add nice wood vanities and separate mirrors

Can a general home inspector tell whether a column is structural or just decorative or would we need a structural engineer?

Go with a structural engineer. But generally it’s easy to tell if the column is real because there is a wall on the second story directly above it, or there is a visible beam.

[Anonymous]

If I were you I would just look for different home. There is a whole bunch of buyers who loves the Colonials just as they are with their round columns that in many cases are an integral part of the design. It is in a way classic style that once you start changing you are destroying the integrity of it. It is just as many reasonable people put so much care to preserve certain homes be it old craftsman or tis or that style. Home is often about the consistency and integrity of overall style.
It is very possible that your chasing most modern look will be outdated in the next ten years and next buyer won't buy your home with square columns or pillars and would much rather had round ones. Since so many people really do not care or like or are not bother with the round columns, please for the sake of preservation do move to the next house that you won't need to gut for the sake of progress. It is becoming insanely wasteful, total waste of resources and very unsustainable in home industry when everything is beginning to be so outdated in five minutes.. look what is happening to marble flooring, granite countertops, beautiful wooden cabinets that are just out because everyone is starting the cookie cutter style that is gobbling anything different. There is such a thing as ugly and mismatch, but there is such a thing as thoughtful consistent design and some, lots of people would rather have this then random act of derogating for the sake of progress that is going through the motions.

[Anonymous]

Ouuuh.. so that's what was behind the decline of the Greeks.. they probably decided that the round columns were out of style..

Please, whatever you do OP, do not buy this fixer upper, we really like it just the way it is.

http://www.hexapolis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Parthenon-777x437.jpg

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I were you I would just look for different home. There is a whole bunch of buyers who loves the Colonials just as they are with their round columns that in many cases are an integral part of the design. It is in a way classic style that once you start changing you are destroying the integrity of it. It is just as many reasonable people put so much care to preserve certain homes be it old craftsman or tis or that style. Home is often about the consistency and integrity of overall style.
It is very possible that your chasing most modern look will be outdated in the next ten years and next buyer won't buy your home with square columns or pillars and would much rather had round ones. Since so many people really do not care or like or are not bother with the round columns, please for the sake of preservation do move to the next house that you won't need to gut for the sake of progress. It is becoming insanely wasteful, total waste of resources and very unsustainable in home industry when everything is beginning to be so outdated in five minutes.. look what is happening to marble flooring, granite countertops, beautiful wooden cabinets that are just out because everyone is starting the cookie cutter style that is gobbling anything different. There is such a thing as ugly and mismatch, but there is such a thing as thoughtful consistent design and some, lots of people would rather have this then random act of derogating for the sake of progress that is going through the motions.

A 90s house with interior faux wood columns isn't anyone's idea of a classic style.

[Anonymous]

In larger homes, most of those columns are structurally necessary. We are currently building and if you go over a certain size, you either reinforce with added expense to avoid the columns or you use columns.

I also think they are ugly.

[Anonymous]

Structurally, you either have columns or really deep beams spanning the space needing support. Maybe you're dislike has more to do with fussy and unnecessary decorative columns or structual columns designed to look like one of the Greek orders, like Doric for example. If you do need a "real" column, you can keep them very simple (square, rectangle, or round) and without ornamentation. Width and diameter vary depending on load bearing requirements. Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

I have seen a few remodels in other areas where the owner puts back a wall that goes about 1/2 the length. This keeps the support in the necessary place, gives the room more definition but doesn't block it off as much as doing complete length walls with small doorways. This works for those ugly style 90s houses where you walk in and the living room is on one side of the entry and the dining room is on another and there are a bunch of support columns.

For bathrooms with columns, these are usually faux not structural but if they are structural then doing a full remodel and putting in walls for the tub area is an option. I have also seen designers use built in shelving and wood mantles and faux stone to get rid of the two story marble fireplace landing strips that were so popular in the 90s.

Despite everyone complaining about how expensive the DMV is, it is actually super cheap compared to other cities/burbs. There are enough new builds at prices lower then the cost of buying a 90s house and completely updating it so in this area the 90s houses are unlike to get upgraded anytime soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I were you I would just look for different home. There is a whole bunch of buyers who loves the Colonials just as they are with their round columns that in many cases are an integral part of the design. It is in a way classic style that once you start changing you are destroying the integrity of it. It is just as many reasonable people put so much care to preserve certain homes be it old craftsman or tis or that style. Home is often about the consistency and integrity of overall style.
It is very possible that your chasing most modern look will be outdated in the next ten years and next buyer won't buy your home with square columns or pillars and would much rather had round ones. Since so many people really do not care or like or are not bother with the round columns, please for the sake of preservation do move to the next house that you won't need to gut for the sake of progress. It is becoming insanely wasteful, total waste of resources and very unsustainable in home industry when everything is beginning to be so outdated in five minutes.. look what is happening to marble flooring, granite countertops, beautiful wooden cabinets that are just out because everyone is starting the cookie cutter style that is gobbling anything different. There is such a thing as ugly and mismatch, but there is such a thing as thoughtful consistent design and some, lots of people would rather have this then random act of derogating for the sake of progress that is going through the motions.

A 90s house with interior faux wood columns isn't anyone's idea of a classic style.

But it probably will be in 10 years.

[Anonymous]

A 90s house with interior faux wood columns isn't anyone's idea of a classic style.


But it probably will be in 10 years.

It won't. There are some things that were introduced in the 90s that have staying power but they have been altered to be more functional. The kitchen/family great room is still very popular but its more streamlined and functional now. Higher ceilings will stick around but the oddly placed two story rooms with a vertical landing strip for a fireplace will go. Large scale houses are still popular with builders and buyers

Faux round columns will never be considered classic. Just like mid century furniture is classic but the puke green or orange shag carpet and carpet in bathrooms never became classic.