when using multiple light sources in order to create a global illumination-look (which I always try), it can sometimes be a pain to get certain shadows right. So I came up with this little trick. Instead of the entire pillar to cast shadows, I turned off shadow casting and placed dome like shapes inside these pillars with shadow casting on to cast soft and shorter shadows that look more natural in a room that is globally lit. I think the result is not comparable to real global illumination but the shadow trick does the job quite nicely.
