How To Make My Couch Taller: Furniture Risers And Legs

You finally found the perfect sofa. The fabric is durable, the color is exactly what you envisioned, and it fits the wall perfectly. But the moment you sit down, you realize something is wrong. You feel like you are sinking to the floor, and getting back up requires more effort than a squat at the gym.

Low-profile furniture is a staple of modern design, but it is not always practical for real life. Whether you are tall, have bad knees, or simply feel like your furniture looks like dollhouse miniatures in a room with high ceilings, you need a solution. Fortunately, adjusting the height of a sofa is one of the easiest and most impactful DIY upgrades you can make.

In this guide, I will walk you through the professional methods for raising your sofa, from swapping legs to building custom plinths. For a visual boost of inspiration, make sure to check out the Picture Gallery at the end of this post.

Diagnosing the Problem: Why Your Sofa Feels Too Low

Before we start unscrewing legs or buying risers, we need to understand the ergonomics involved. In the design world, we look at “seat height” as a critical measurement. The standard seat height for a comfortable sofa is typically between 17 and 18 inches from the floor to the top of the cushion.

If your sofa sits at 15 inches or lower, it classifies as “low profile.” This is great for a sleek, Italian modern aesthetic, but it can be terrible for comfort. When your knees sit significantly higher than your hips, it puts strain on your lower back.

We also have to consider the scale of the room. I often walk into homes with 10-foot ceilings where the homeowners have purchased low-slung furniture. The result is that the room feels empty and bottom-heavy. Raising the sofa even two inches can rebalance the visual weight of the space.

Designer’s Note: The “Dangle” Test
Here is a lesson I learned the hard way early in my career. Do not raise a sofa so high that your feet dangle off the floor. sit on a dining chair (usually 18–19 inches high) to test your maximum comfortable height. If your feet are not flat on the ground, do not raise your sofa to that level.

Option 1: Replacing the Legs (The Professional Approach)

Replacing the legs is the most seamless way to add height. It looks intentional rather than like a hack. Most sofas, even budget-friendly ones from big-box stores, use screw-in legs that are easily interchangeable.

This method gives you the chance to upgrade the style, too. You can swap generic black plastic feet for tapered mid-century walnut legs or modern brass cylinders. This small change can make an IKEA sofa look like a custom piece.

However, you cannot just buy any leg and hope it fits. You need to match the connection hardware.

How to Measure the Hardware
Most sofas use a “hanger bolt” system. This is a double-ended screw where one side is embedded in the leg and the other screws into the sofa frame.

• Standard US Size: 5/16-inch hanger bolt. This is the most common size for US furniture.
• IKEA/European Size: M8 (8mm) metric bolt. This is slightly thinner than the US standard.
• Checking your size: Take one existing leg off your sofa and bring it to a hardware store. Try screwing a 5/16 nut onto it. If it fits, you are good to go.

If you buy legs that do not match your sofa’s threading, do not panic. You can purchase “T-plates” or mounting plates. These are metal plates you screw into the wooden frame of the sofa, giving you a fresh receiving hole for whatever new legs you purchased.

Common Mistakes + Fixes
Mistake: Buying legs that are too thin for a heavy sofa.
Fix: Visual balance is key. If you have a chunky, overstuffed sectional, skinny hairpin legs will look weak and unbalanced. Opt for block feet or thick bun feet to support the visual weight.

Option 2: Furniture Risers (The Hidden Helper)

Sometimes, replacing legs isn’t an option. Perhaps the legs are permanently attached to the frame, or the sofa is an antique. In these cases, furniture risers are the answer.

I know what you are thinking. You are picturing those ugly, black plastic cones used in college dorm rooms. We are not using those here. Design-forward risers exist, and they can be quite subtle if used correctly.

Wood Block Risers
Look for solid wood risers in a square or cylindrical shape. These act as “shoes” for your existing sofa legs. You can find them in raw wood and stain them to match your existing legs perfectly. When the finish matches, the riser looks like a part of the original design.

The Slipcover Trick
If you have a sofa with a skirt or you use a slipcover, you have the ultimate freedom. You can use utilitarian risers because no one will see them.

• Measure the gap between the bottom of the skirt and the floor.
• If the skirt drags on the floor, raising the sofa will fix the tailoring.
• If the skirt is currently perfect, raising the sofa will leave a gap. You may need to sew a border onto the bottom of the skirt to hide the risers.

Safety First
When using risers, ensure the existing sofa leg sits deep inside the riser cup. A shallow cup is a tipping hazard. I always recommend using non-slip rubber pads between the riser and the floor, and between the leg and the riser.

Option 3: The Custom Plinth Base (The High-End Look)

If you want a truly custom, architectural look, I recommend building a plinth base. This is what I do for high-end clients who want their furniture to look grounded and substantial.

A plinth is essentially a wooden platform that sits underneath the entire sofa frame. Instead of four individual legs, the sofa rests on a recessed wooden box. This adds height while making the sofa look like a solid, floating block.

How to Design a Plinth
You can build this out of simple 2×4 lumber and wrap it in a nice veneer, or paint it black for a “shadow” effect.

• The Recess: The plinth should be smaller than the sofa footprint. I recommend recessing it 2 inches from the front and sides. This creates a shadow line and prevents you from stubbing your toes.
• The Height: You can build this to any height you need. A 4-inch plinth is a substantial lift that looks very modern.
• Stability: Because the weight is distributed across the entire frame rather than four points, this is actually more stable than tall legs.

What I’d Do in a Real Project
If I were styling a modern loft, I would remove the existing legs entirely. I would build a plinth base painted in a matte black finish. This creates a “floating” illusion. It adds 3 to 5 inches of height without looking like we retrofitted the furniture.

Option 4: Adding Casters (Mobility + Height)

Casters are a fantastic option for industrial spaces, studios, or homes with flexible layouts. Adding heavy-duty wheels can raise your sofa by 3 to 5 inches instantly.

This look works best on leather sofas, Chesterfield styles, or linen-covered English roll-arm sofas. It adds a bit of an eclectic, vintage vibe.

Selecting the Right Casters
Do not buy office chair wheels. You need heavy-duty, locking plate casters.

• Locking Mechanism: This is non-negotiable. You do not want your sofa rolling away every time you sit down.
• Wheel Material: If you have hardwood floors, use rubber or polyurethane wheels. Metal or hard plastic wheels will scratch your floors instantly.
• Weight Rating: Check the load capacity. A sofa plus two or three adults can easily weigh 600+ pounds. Ensure your set of four casters can handle at least 800 pounds to be safe.

Installation Note
Casters usually mount with a square plate and four screws. You will likely need to drill pilot holes into the frame of your sofa. Make sure the wood frame is thick enough to hold the screws securely.

The Ripple Effect: Styling Your Taller Sofa

Here is the part most people forget. When you change the height of your sofa, you change the relationship between the sofa and everything else in the room. Interior design is about relationships and relative scale.

If you raise your sofa 4 inches, your coffee table effectively shrinks by 4 inches. A coffee table that was once flush with the seat cushion is now significantly lower. This can make the room look disjointed.

Adjusting the Coffee Table
The ideal coffee table height is the same height as the sofa seat or up to 2 inches lower. It should never be higher than the seat.

• If your coffee table now looks too low, consider adding legs to it as well.
• Alternatively, style the table with tall objects. A stack of large coffee table books or a tall vase can help bridge the visual gap.

Side Tables and Lamps
Side tables should be within 2 inches of the arm height of the sofa. If you raise the sofa, your side tables might suddenly feel like they belong in a kindergarten classroom.

• You may need to swap them out for taller pedestal tables.
• Check your table lamps. If the table is low, the light source might be glaring right into your eyes. You might need taller lamps to compensate.

Rug Sizing and Placement
Raising a sofa exposes more floor. If your rug was previously tucked just an inch under the front legs, raising the sofa might reveal the edge of the rug. This looks messy.

• Pull the rug further under the sofa. Ideally, the front third of the sofa should sit on the rug.
• Ensure the rug is large enough that the “floating” feeling of the taller sofa doesn’t make the rug look like a postage stamp.

Final Checklist: Before You Buy

Ready to give your sofa a lift? Run through this quick checklist to ensure you don’t waste time or money on returns.

• Measure current seat height: Measure from the floor to the crown (highest point) of the seat cushion.
• Determine goal height: Add 2 to 4 inches max. Do not exceed standard dining chair height (19 inches) for a lounge sofa.
• Check connection type: Unscrew a leg to see if it is a hanger bolt (5/16 or M8) or a plate mount.
• Check frame width: If using a plinth or large block leg, ensure the sofa frame is wide enough to support it.
• Floor protection: Buy felt or rubber pads for the new legs immediately.

FAQs

Is it safe to stack furniture risers?
No, absolutely not. Stacking risers creates a highly unstable structure. If you need more height than one riser can provide, you need to look into a custom plinth base or longer replacement legs. The risk of the sofa tipping or the risers collapsing is too high.

Can I paint metal replacement legs?
Yes, but you need the right preparation. You must sand the metal with fine-grit sandpaper to rough up the surface. Use a self-etching primer designed for metal, followed by a spray paint suitable for metal surfaces. If you skip the sanding or primer, the paint will chip off within weeks.

Will raising my sofa void the warranty?
It is possible. If you are modifying the structural integrity by drilling new holes for mounting plates, a manufacturer might void the warranty. However, simply unscrewing legs and screwing in new ones of the same thread size is usually considered a reversible change. Check your specific warranty documents to be sure.

My sofa has a middle support leg. Do I need to replace that too?
Yes! This is critical. If you raise the four corner legs but forget the middle support leg, you will snap the frame of your sofa. The middle leg must touch the floor firmly. Many replacement leg sets come with adjustable middle legs, or you can use a block of wood to bridge the gap.

Conclusion

Making your couch taller is one of those small tweaks that delivers a massive return on investment. It improves the comfort of your daily life, making it easier to sit and stand. It also elevates the aesthetic of your room, giving your furniture a more commanding presence.

Whether you choose the quick fix of risers, the sleek look of new legs, or the custom finish of a plinth base, the key is attention to detail. Measure twice, respect the scale of your room, and ensure your new setup is stable. Your knees—and your living room design—will thank you.

Picture Gallery