What You Can't Demolish: How to Deal with Load-Bearing Structures

Some technical solutions are hard to fix. For example, they can't be demolished or moved. But you can work with them and turn the problem into a striking design solution, just like designers and architects did in their projects.

Masking

If load-bearing walls are in an inconvenient place and disrupt the interior balance, cover them with mirrors — as done in the design project by Nika Vorotynsueva.

Design: Nika Vorotynsueva

Highlighting

Turn load-bearing walls into a bold accent. Designer Nadezhda Kapper did just that by decorating them with a decorative panel.

Design: Nadezhda Kapper

Using for Storage

Turn load-bearing columns into functional furniture. Simply build niches into them for storing souvenirs and decorate with cornices. A good example is the project by architect Mikhail Egiyan.

Design: Mikhail Egiyan

Zone the Space

Leave load-bearing columns and crossbeams between rooms. This connects the space and creates an open layout — as in the project by Svetlana Yurkova.

Design: Svetlana Yurkova

Creating a Recreation Zone

An excellent solution for a living room with a load-bearing wall in the center was proposed by Inna Tedzhoeva and Zina Broyan in a design project on Bolshaya Gruzinskaya. They mounted a flat TV on the wall and placed a relaxation area opposite it.

Design: Berphin Interior

Read also:

• How to Move a Door Opening in a Load-Bearing Wall: Tips from an Architect
• How to Coordinate a Relocation: The Shortest Path
• Can You Break Walls in a Stalin-era Building: A Professional Opinion