13. Sculptural Plaster Corbels and Pilasters
Introduction
Architectural support structures in Baroque design are rarely hidden; instead, they are celebrated through sculptural corbels, brackets, and half-columns known as pilasters.
What This Idea Means
Pilasters and corbels add a sense of structural integrity, weight, and classical lineage to a room, framing doorways, mantels, and bookshelf openings with sculptural majesty.
How to Make It
- The Placement: Identify strategic locations such as room entryways, the edges of a fireplace, or beneath ceiling beams.
- The Installation: Secure cast plaster or lightweight resin corbels and fluted pilaster capitals firmly to wall studs.
- The Finish: Paint or faux-finish the pilasters to match surrounding stone or woodwork, highlighting carved details with a wash of antique glaze.
Tips and Variations
- Use fluted pilasters to frame an open archway between a formal living room and a dining room for a grand palatial transition.
- Essentials: Cast plaster corbels, fluted pilasters, heavy-duty construction adhesive, wood screws, spackle.