MY FAVORITE DECOR RISERS
Risers are little things that create decorating magic around our homes. In vignettes, besides chairs, and on tabletops. They help lamps to be taller and flowers to reach higher. Stacking a group of like household items can act as the most posh risers! They are one of my very favorite go-to things when I’m decorating! I can’t wait to share so here are my favorite decor risers…
You might be surprised at the things I find around my home to use as risers!
STACKED BOOKS
You cannot go wrong when books are stacked to make something taller in a vignette. This is probably my favorite way to use books! Yes, I do read them but they seem to find their way into vignettes, bookshelves, and other places to act as those all-important risers!
I love to cover my books with burlap so the book covers don’t detract from the overall look of my decor. HERE is such an easy-peasy tutorial for covering books with burlap. And you can still read the books!
STACKED PLATES
If you love dishes this is for you! Get out your dishes and use them as a riser. How pretty! Just think of all the options!!!! Stack a trio or stack a bunch. Stack different sizes and different colors! The key here is to just stack them! Stacks upon stacks!
My favorite place to use stacks of dishes is in the kitchen, breakfast nook, and dining room. As you can see I use dishes LIBERALLY!
WOODEN ROUNDS
Wooden rounds make fabulous risers! Just one or even two stacked on top of each other. They often fade into the decor but they do give a boost to whatever you put on them. I love the touch of texture they bring to what they hold up!
Can you see the wooden round at first glance? I bet if I did not tell you it was there you would not have seen it. Another reason to love wooden rounds!
My favorite season to use wooden rounds is Autumn. They play so nicely with things like pumpkins and little plants!
STACKED BOWLS
Just like stacked dishes, stacked bowls work wonders in a vignette. They can hold a plethora of little things! A potted plant to a few handfuls of jellybeans to ripe pears. Oh, so pretty, right?
Don’t be shy about stacking lots of bowls together. As you can see below they add glorious height and fun to the kitchen table vignette below!
CANDLESTICKS AND PEDESTALS AND CAKE PLATES
This kind of decorating is so fun and creative. Use pedestals and candlesticks as risers. And don’t forget those beautiful cake plates we all have. We often keep them inside a cupboard if we are not using them. So let’s get them out and use them in amazing ways! They are surprisingly interesting and elevate decor both literally and figuratively!
How about plates on a cake plate with a cloche? Now that is my kind of stacking!
And among the candles in candlesticks on your table, you might want to slip in a little surprise!
Here are a few other ideas for helping your decor to new heights!
Did you notice I also like to use white painted books as risers too? You might like this tutorial…
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Hi Yvonne! I thoroughly enjoyed your article about using risers. You certainly have some mighty wonderful ideas and I can wait to use them! I’ve used books but never bowls! How fun for a change!
Have a pleasant day and upcoming weekend!!
Lucy Beliveau!
Thank-you for all the wonderful ideas!! Lots of Inspiration for our new home.
The wooden rounds are one of my favorites. My husband makes them for me from trees he cuts down. The colors of the woods vary, cedar being one of the most beautiful. Where there are cracks in the wood it gets filler that looks like semi precious stone that has been ground up. Turquoise being the number one color to use for a southwestern look.
I get my wood rounds from the gentleman that provides my firewood. I asked him if he could just cut me off several inches before he starts chopping up the wood. He always brings me several when I get a load of wood in the fall.
I love your idea of filling the cracks. What do you use to do that? I would think something translucent would be lovely!
If you chose to use resin, you could fill the cracks and cover the top surface of the raw wood in a thin coat to help ‘waterproof’ it. The finish would be a clear coating that would not compromise on the beauty of the wood grain.
Morning Yvonne! Love how you use risers! I have used cake plates, little stools, a few books, but never dishes or bowls. Great idea for something different! I also love to stack! Thank you!
Thanks for the clever stacking ideas. Do already use a number of them but particularly liked the one using dishes since I LOVE dishes. Always nice to change things around. Appreciate your info—always! Spring is coming right?
Love your use of vignettes, I am in love with vignettes and have many in my French country decor. I am trying to come up with a new vignette to use my tea cups and cake plates. They are pastels but my decor is golds red/green. I hate to put them away as they are so lovely to look at.
Thanks for sharing all of your decorating secrets with us! I now know why your vignettes look so amazing – risers!!!
you are so blessed with the talent of decorating. I enjoy reading your blog and trying the different ideas that you share.
Thank you
I’m so happy you are trying these things at home!
Loved this article! I hadn’t considered using plates, bowls and little stools. Thank you so much for helping me add more interest to my home!
Love the large round low wicker basket, that you use in your kitchen dining area. Where did you find it?
Great ideas. I have a passion for dishes, so I must do this!
I LOVED this post-Yvonne. So many great decor ideas!
Thanks Laura! So lovely to hear from you!
Risers or “lifts and levels”, as I refer to them, are a decorator’s good friend! I am definitely partial to books, but you provided some wonderful alternatives!!! When everything is the same height, it is quite BORING. Do you remember Christopher Lowell on HGTV? He was a BIG fan of elevating accessories.
I have many old books I got from flea markets years ago for pennies that I use as risers in my decorating, love the look.
Great tip Doreen!
Love your decorating Yvonne! I don’t have as much space as you do for vignettes, but I do have a display cupboard in my living room and I have one of my Mom’s beautiful Royal Doultons on a stack of green glass dessert plates and 3 vintage teacups and sauces on the matching cake stand. So I get to display the beautiful green glass along with my teacups and figurine, but that is also my storage space for the dessert plates and cake stand. I get to enjoy seeing them everyday instead of having them put away in a cupboard. I also love how you use books as risers. I just have to find a place where I can do that in my house.
I love your ideas. As others have mentioned, I use books currently. Your other ideas have me inspired for variety!! If a person does not have a way to make their own, do you have an inexpensive place to by wooden rounds?
What a very informative post!!!! You gave me some great new ideas! Thank you.
I have implemented many of your riser ideas, such as books under small lamps and stacks of bowls. They add so much to enhance simple decor items.
Your blog has inspired me to start collecting items to use as risers! They really make a positive difference. If I just can’t find the perfect item to fit a vignette l’ll sometimes wrap a small gift box in a pretty paper that works with my display and use that. I never seem to be short of boxes!
I love using books for decor. I bought box lots at an auction, so I have many colours to choose from when decorating different rooms. I love all your teaching blogs. So much still to learn.
I wondered if you would do a post on decorating the night tables, bureaus, etc. in guest bedrooms? I’m struggling with decorating enough but not putting too personal a spin in a room where guests need to feel at home.
Yvonne, I just love your decorating …..and your decorating advice – great tips! Wherever did you find the burlap with the type letters that you covered your books with? I never see burlap that cute!
Yes I would like to know where you get the lettered burlap as well. I have looked everywhere to find it. It is very unique.
You just gave me some great ideas! The best thing is I already have in my home what I need to make it work. Great inspiration today!
I’ve followed you and read your posts but I always learn something. I’ve not thought about a stack of bowls nor a stack of plates as risers. I think I need to remember this. I’m still in the midst of a mess of my own doing!! When I can get through this latest stumbling block of clearing out things, I want to refocus on my new displays again. This will be a wonderful tip to remember!!
Great ideas I’d never thought of. Thanks.
TGIF!! Oh my how cute the wooden rounds are! Thanks for talking about staggering items in different heights with so many good ideas. I just bought two lamps online and didn’t even look at the size because they were the color I wanted and on sale–but I like them anyway. I got them for my side table in the dining room and will try to see if raising them up with books or something will work. I’m not sure about putting lamps on risers, does anyone have a thought about that?
I could not find a storage place for my plate chargers, so I used them under a lamp in the dining room. Not the greatest, books would probably be better.
Yvonne, Can you share some options for the stools. Hobby Lobby has a similar black one but its like 50.00 a pricey riser. Also where do you find wood risers? I am really missing new glimpses of your kitchen decor, new table vignettes. I so admire your style and seeing new things really sparks my creativity. Love your pod casts too. ???
Julie, do you have any little decor shops in your area? Try there. I got both of mine from little shops close to where I live.
Hi Yvonne, I just stumbled on to your site via Pinterest! I enjoyed your tips and cute vignettes. Might I add a tip of my own? A great place to find books, dishes, bowls, baskets, and small stools is at thrift stores. So much fun to take them home, clean them up, add a little paint or stain , and play designer!
I like the Dot duvet cover.
I have used books for risers for a long time and they look very good on bedside tables too. However I have not tried the stack of dishes so I am now off to see what I have that will be suitable. Love your blog!!
You never disappoint, because everything you do is fabulous.
I love your chicken lamp. I love how she looks perched on top of the books. She matches my grey, chicken cushions on my chairs. So sweet.
I recently found you on Pinterest. I’ve learned so much from your posts. Something that stands out are the neutral palettes in many of the vignettes. They are elegant, yet warm.
Thank you.
Welcome to the StoneGable family, Linda! So glad you are here!
Beautiful ideas and I could literally steal your hen lamp! Love love love that lamp
Well, that was a lot of “Oh” and “great idea”! Love your ideas!! Thanks.
Such great ideas for risers. Blessings to you.
I love the picture of your mirror! This was so inspiring.