How a Stylish Plinth Can Make Any Home Feel Like a Museum (In The Best Way)
Instead of a table, consider a chic podium for maximum elegance.
Lending a gallery-esque flair to many a stylish home, the plinth might be one of the most underrated décor pieces for elevating a space.
Sturdy, rectangular prisms, usually stone, sometimes encased in mirrored glass, you'll typically find them used in place of side tables and tallboys in the bedrooms, living rooms, halls, and entryway spaces of some of our favourite homes.
Interestingly, plinths have been used for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Roman architecture through to the Renaissance, as well as in imperial-era China. Today, they're most commonly used in museums, galleries and retail spaces to display objects of significance – and now as a novel alternative to tables with legs.
Read on for some of our favourite examples of how to decorate with, and how these statement-making table substitutes bring weight, structure and focus to any room.
1. Stone columns
Stone plinths fashioned after columns make elegant pedestals for books or plants (or both!), as seen here in the home of freelance journalist and consultant Lauren Caruso. For a classic minimalist look, keep it monochrome and add interest via texture and shape.
2. Natural woods
Without taking up much space, wooden plinths give a room a grounding warmth, working especially well to contrast with ultra-polished interiors. Pictured here is creative consultant Serena Goh's Brooklyn bedroom, where a warm wood plinth serves as the perfect place for some boudoir blooms.
3. Mirrored plinths
Mirrored plinths add dimension and depth to any room, and work best with a refined space free of clutter. Consider something akin to this rectangular iteration, as seen in Olive Cooke's former '70s-inspired Lennox Heads home.
4. Color pop
Who said a plinth has to be neutral? As a (literal) standalone item, a colourful plinth is a fun way to inject some color into a space and highlight whatever it might be displaying. In Maria Thattil's Melbourne townhouse (pictured), the vibrant beetroot pink plinth adds the perfect 'pop' to an otherwise tonal living room.
5. Dare to pair
If you're looking to create more dimension in your space, placing two or more plinths of varying heights with similar textures side-by-side is an easy way to achieve that. Channel the home of Steffanie Ball, founder of En Gold, whose luxurious living room boasts this travertine duo.
Decorate Your Space
Enjoyed This?
Discover more interior decoration ideas.
