Reco for how to finish basement support beams?

[ootoaoo]

I recently tore down so pretty shoddy "walls" around our basement support beams and want to make them look a bit nicer.

Ultimately we will tile the floor and I don't want the finished basement to look horribly because the 2 support beams are just there.

What would you recommend I do overall? And any recommendation on what I should do near where it hits the ceiling?

Previously it was just 4 walls coming from the ceiling down, which I feel like was a HUGE waste of space, it was as deep/wide as the picture shows.

I haven't done this before so looking for any advice you all may have - thanks in advance!

 

[vinn]

In other words, your posts were boxed in? Am I right or wrong with such an assumption?
You could cover the plates at the top with stepped layers of dry wall like you may have seen at the edge of cathedral ceilings.
Its also possible to wrap the posts with fixed mesh, and then plaster round them - but thats not a DIY job.
Special order Flexible dry wall in 1/4" is available, and by wetting and using thin off-cut rippings you could wrap the post and plaster or mud to an even circumference.

There are fibre glass/Pvc faux exterior post wrappings available for porch columns. Painted, they look like historic columns.

Why not youtube for porch column wrappings or similar?

 

[ootoaoo]

Thanks for the ideas vinn. I just didn't know what to search for as I haven't done this before.

But yes they were boxed in originally. Width/depth matching the first picture, and it was terrible looking. Wood paneling. Not great.

 

[SFK]

ootoaoo,
I would say leave them as is as that way they are the smallest they can be. Adding anything will make them thicker and more obvious.
Paint them in Gloss or Enamel paint to show that they are structural metal and needed. White to hide them (a bit), grey or black (or even red) to make them stand out.
This shows a few ideas: http://freshome.com/2013/10/25/10-creative-ways-use-columns-design-features-home/

Note that a way to the top of the pole more interesting might be to get a Plain Ceiling rose, cut out a circle from the Ceiling rose with the same diameter as the pole, cut the Ceiling rose in half and fit around the top of the pole. http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...Xceiling+rose.TRS0&_nkw=ceiling+rose&_sacat=0

sfk