Decals? Is this for a nursery school?

How about just leaving it alone and letting it be a column.

You can always drape a nice piece of fabric around it.

Outrageous suggestion here -- why don't you stencil it with a black&white or gray&white damask pattern? Haven't seen one but would probably be nice to see...

http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS310US310&q=damask pattern

Another vote for leaving it alone. Letters on the pillar seems very odd, considering you're going for vintage modern.

I've not had to contend with such a mondo pillar but one thought was to put circular seating around it - I'm not sure what the official name is - but the built in padded seating would also be round and you would lean against the pillar for back support. Then you'd be able to sit on the window side and admire the view or sit facing the kitchen when entertaining (or whatever). (It would basically be an upholstered version of those round benches you sometimes see surrounding a tree). Only thing I can find to illustrate the basic unfurnished idea is this tree bench:
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Large-Cedar-Adirondack-Tree-Bench/307648/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=925536

or this
http://picnicfurniture.skproshoppe.com/premier-circular-bench

I would leave it be. It needs no decoration.

I would also leave it alone, or paint it the same color as the walls (if you're going to repaint the walls). As it is, now, it tends to 'almost' disappear into the view, but if you put anything on the column, then it will become the focal point, instead of what's outside the window behind it.

When I used to do high-rise residential, our clients left the columns alone, simply because treating them in another way called SO much attention to them. Unfortunately, big corner columns are unavoidable in high-rise construction (if they're too far in from the corners of the building, the floor slabs have to be thickened and structurally reinforced, which makes the cost of construction prohibitively expensive).

I've seen awesome pillars with glass tile on'em... but that'd be more of a kitchen-y look. Leaving them alone would be just fine... I'd worry much more about keeping those windows spotless and the glare off my TV.

"Unfortunately, big corner columns are unavoidable in high-rise construction..."

Only when architects insist on using slick glass non-loadbearing curtain walls are huge columns set in from the edge of the floorplate like this necessary.

If architects simply went back to placing the structural columns at the perimeter of the floorplates and planned the buildings from the inside out rather than starting out with a "pretty" or "conceptual" exterior, then squeezing misshapen rooms in between the structure, elevators, stairs, plumbing stacks, HVAC and floor-to-ceiling glass walls - We buyers/residents wouldn't have to deal with such ridiculous interior design issues.

We have a similar concrete pillar and we created a spiral bookcase that wraps around it. The bookcase is made of plexiglass shelves held together with metal pipes and nuts/bolts. I don't have a very good picture of it, but here's a not-so-great picture:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3gyhqn2POGsuejTjhtI5cA?feat=directlink

I would leave it as is.

Sometimes in a new place there is an urge to want to decorate EVERYTHING. Live with it for a few months and if you still think it needs something, then go for it.

I might consider painting it if a blob of color enhanced the rest of the room, but would never in a gazillion years decorate it.

yes, wrap it with books! seems the only good idea if you do not want to leave it as it is. a plexiglass, acrylic shelf would look great.

wallpaper it with a fabulous and colorful print?

I had a large pillar in my living room several years ago on my 29th floor apartment. I decided to have fun with it and painted horizontal stripes using colors from the room. I just taped it off and painted away. It then became a conversation piece.

Geek nerd that I am, I'd consider using it as a frame for a big DNA double helix.

Wrap it it christmas ornaments during the holidays for a reusable tree?! hide behind it and jump out and scare people!?

Hang long thin artwork on it? Put in an accent shelf and keep some books there and little sculpty things? That wrap around bookcase from Holly Cow is pretty awesome.

I don't know if the photo is your furniture set up at this time, but the way the tv and the chair block off the column corner make it pop out more to me- everything is placed in relation to it, so that that whole corner behind is inaccessible. Also I wouldn't much love watching TV with a huge window behind iit- I would imagine the light at night would be distracting.

I like the idea of using the space between the window and the column for a sitting area instead. I could see that springy chair going where the tv is, but facing out towards the room or the corner, and a wrap around bench, plus some sort of lamp or plant, tucked right in by the column.

I'm not anti-wall decals, but I do think its one of those things that's so easy and cheap to do that they don't require we think through the "why would I" part as much as we do when we paint or buy furniture. So why word decals? What would they do for your space? Would they match your theme of modern vintage in the type/color/size you picked? How would you place them?

Like most home decorating, I think it's easy to dismiss an idea as potentially tacky, but the pleasure comes from using that familar element in a surprising and tasteful new way. For instance I think it would be neat to use decals on the column to do a scene, like...if you had little space ships flying around, and walking around the column would be a surprise to see what the different space ships were up to. Apparently I like living in a nursery though.

Maybe a big, bold strip (or maybe stripes, but not too many) of color. Might go with the modern feel you desire, but make sure you do it at the end of decorating so you can choose a color (or colors) that coordinate with the rest of the room.

Leave it. Or, really go for it and paint it with spiral stripes a la a barber-shop pole.

Oh god, leave it alone. Not everything needs to be decorated.

Leave it!

I was going to chime in with the chorus and say 'leave it', but now I think the idea of doing one of those round-the-tree benches (if you added some cushions) could actually be interesting and would let you sit in the awkward corner and enjoy the view.
http://www.improvementscatalog.com/product/eucalyptus-tree-bench.do

I have to agree with the majority... leave it alone!

let's face it, the column is in an awkward place. But, it is holding up the building, so you have to live with it. decorating it is only going to draw more attention to it. If it were me, I would focus on the cityscape view, so the television would have to move and the column remain neutral and blend in with the rest of the architecture.

I'd leave it.

That said, I must confess, my first idea was to cover it in tiny mosaic mirror tiles -- like a disco ball on steroids! (I need chocolate.)

Anyone ever hear of SoHo? All the really great lofts had columns - some wonderful old round cast iron, some plain.

Leave it alone. Everything doesn't need to be decorated. It is an architectural element in your space.

Decorate the column... if you want a high-end, grown up apartment to look like, well, neither.

And what is a "modern vintage theme"?

"I'm curious to see how other people have dealt with pillars."

Most people ignore them.

I would go with seating and storage for the pillar like this pic
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2275/2497460907_faaf3c55f2.jpg?v=0

altho nicer and use the space under the seat as storage as well

It will let the pillar blend in yet will provide a nice place to sit and look out the window :)

Please leave it alone. It is what it is. Decorating it will only make it more conspicuous and could potentially depreciate the value of the space.

I like the bookshelf idea.

The owner obviously doesn't want to leave it alone (although I probably would).

I remember a commercial for a car where they were driving through a forest that had all these 'rooms' in it (like a bathroom in the middle of the forest, a living room etc) and there was a tree with a bookshelf around it... It looked really nice.

You could also just do an interesting lighting effect on it by using spotlights mounted on the ceiling... or something. That would leave it as is, but also give it some interest when you wanted to.

I have a similar pillar in my condo. I am thinking about trying to add a shelf to my pillar. It sits between a couch and love seat in my living area, so it occupies a space that would otherwise be good for an end table. I am considering an 8" deep shelf where a table would otherwise be. I thought maybe something nice for material like a thick slab of hardwood, stained and waxed to give it character, or perhaps granite or even thick glass. Wood has the advantage of being workable with available means. I also recently visited a store that has a good variety of imported Indian Sheesham and Acacia furniture, so i feel somewhat inspired by that. I also have hardwood floor, so a colour match or compliment/contrast would also look nice.

I thought sure there must be others who have had this idea, so there is likely a product already on the market. I cannot find one though (dibs, my idea!?!?). My next thought is to find a nice round table of the right diameter and have a big piece cut out to slide it onto the pillar.

It is an idea in progress. Any feedback or resources you know of?

Thanks!