Inventive Ways to Build Storage Into Your Staircase

In these space-starved times, most of us want to utilize every inch of storage in our homes. So making the most of the area under and on the stairs doesn’t just make sense, it can help create a clutter-free environment. Here are 12 ways to make the most of what you’ve got — with cabinets, drawers, shelves, seating and more.

1. Create open shelving. Don’t assume the understairs area should be reserved for hiding the vacuum and shopping bags. Open shelving can look stylish, as these chic box shelves show. Here they provide a home for oversized art and travel books, while the soft gray woodwork contrasts with the hallway and adds an elegant feel.

Tip: You could divide up your understairs area into narrow display shelves, while retaining a skinny hidden cabinet behind.


2. Extend a room. With the dimensions of our homes shrinking, you might decide you’re better off using your understairs area to extend an adjacent room. This spot adds to the kitchen, with an extra work surface, shelf and sink. The simple, industrial-style staircase adds to the modern feel.


3. Blend in. Using the same Scandinavian-pale wood for these understairs cabinets as the staircase and banister has created a feeling of uniformity and order. Rather than building in one cabinet, the architect has divided the space into smaller cabinets that are easier to keep tidy and navigate in a hurry.


4. Squeeze in a sofa. Craving a quiet corner? These homeowners have designed a reading nook complete with mini sofa, cushions and shelves. If you’ve always hankered after a room of your own but don’t have a spare study or attic space, this could be a cozy compromise.


5. Choose a bright color. Who said staircase cupboards have to be white or wood so they “disappear”? The chartreuse textured finish on these smart, minimalist doors lifts the space and turns the cabinets into an attractive feature.


6. Add stairway shelves. Using the wall space on a staircase for books — if you have the width —is pure common sense. It can also add character and charm to a plain staircase, as seen here.

Talk to a carpenter for the best way to utilize “dead” stairway space, making sure you think about how much room you need to turn comfortably on the stairs. (You don’t want be knocking over War and Peace every time you climb the stairs to head to bed.)


7. Create a library. Don’t want endless rows of shelving to dominate your living space? Given a little planning, you can use your stairwell instead. This splendid staircase has been turned into a library, dodging the bland look that empty staircases can sometimes have.

Help Your Stair Landing Take Off


8. Max your drawers. Think about the combination of storage that will work for the way you live. These open cubbyholes have been supplemented by a low bank of drawers — ideal for stashing the mail, dustpan and brush and other household paraphernalia.


9. Stash your shoes. There’s ordinary understairs storage, and then there’s this great solution for getting rid of unsightly shoes strewn across the hallway (a common problem in my house). This slide-out shoe rack is just the ticket, while the stairs themselves are beautiful.


10. Be inventive. There really are no rules as to how you should use your understairs space. Here, the owners have eschewed the usual fitted cabinets and have instead created an eclectic, thrift-shop-style display using vintage crates. The melange of retro toys, paintings and other objects is charming and bound to start a few conversations.


11. Insert a study. If you desperately need a home study area, then utilizing the understairs zone may work better for you than sacrificing a corner of the bedroom or dining room. Remember to think about functional things, such as lighting, as the area under the stairs can be pretty gloomy. Here, strategically placed spotlights ensure that the owner won’t be working in the dark.


12. Create a mini utility room. Tucking the washing machine and dryer under the stairs is a genius idea that frees up space elsewhere — in the kitchen, say, for more cabinets or a breakfast bar. Condenser dryers are a good choice for this arrangement, as they don’t need a vent — they collect moisture in a removable container.

Line up the appliances side by side and hide them behind doors, or copy this neat solution, which includes a cubbyhole that was no doubt originally intended for a laundry basket.

More:
Need More Space? Look Under the Stairs
Key Measurements for a Heavenly Stairway

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