Column cladding living / dining room

Basically, I would probably have chosen a beam instead of having two such things in the middle of the room - but that ship has sailed.

Have you already planned the furnishing? Maybe such a column could be the start or in the middle of a shelf/room divider, then they would visually recede.

Otherwise, a clean paint job would have been my first choice as well. If they are supposed to have more dominance, you can, as Golfi already said, also clad them in a square shape - that could also be done in wood, for example.

There are many possibilities, many have already been mentioned to you, but I am really curious how you want to arrange your living room around these two columns.

Metal moves differently than plaster or concrete, I would be careful with rigid connections. That is why I find paint a good solution. If you already have a structure on the columns, I would possibly leverage that advantage and not work against it.

However, the shown columns are very slender in proportion anyway. If they are now supposed to have a totally smooth surface and you want to avoid the material mix with corresponding stresses, I would look for the stucco manufacturers. There are not many left. They have half-shells that are hollow inside. You assemble them around the core; normally, they are intended to be cast. You can even get them with a marble pattern in colored plaster on the outside, but I believe only one maker in Germany still does that.

Best regards

Gabriele

if you want them smooth then fleece is the best. Then just brush over it.
We "covered" our concrete stairs exactly like that

Ideas

[*] Climbing plant - however, the column will then be a bit wider

Depending on the style, that could certainly look really brilliant... great idea.

...one could also crochet something

...you could also crochet something

If you then put a lamp on top, it looks like a street lamp