Under the Stairs Zone: 10 Ways to Maximize Understairs Storage
The space under your stairs in a home is an opportunity for storage. This space is triangular in shape and tend to collect either dust or shoes. The rest of the house must fight for every square inch of closet room.
However, by treating the under stairs area as a three-dimensional puzzle, the trickiest corner of your home can become an area of smart storage solution. Most people considers installing a cupboard door across the under stairs area. Yet, this overlooks the true potential of the under stairs area.
Creative ideas for under stairs storage is listed below. These under stairs storage ideas vary in degree of difficulty. However, each idea will solve a particular problem in the under stairs area while respecting the odd angles of this storage zone.
Before choosing an under stairs storage idea, homeowners should assess what is to be stored. Additionally, homeowners must measure the height of the stairs at the tallest point under the stairs. Furthermore, the height under the stairs at the shortest point must be measured.
The location of the stringer under the stairs must be noted. Finally, homeowners must assess under stairs storage solutions as to whether they can be accessed from the side of the stairs or just from the front. These measurement will decide which under stairs storage ideas will work best in your home.
Smart Ways to Use Your Under Stairs Space
1. Pull-out Drawers on Full Extension Slides
One option is to use pull-out drawers on full extension slides. Builders often install three or four pull-out drawers under the stairs. The top drawer is shallow to accommodate any items that may be needed while standing.
However, the remaining drawers is deeper to accommodate different items. The benefit of pull-out drawers is that you can see all items without having to move items in front of an under stairs storage drawer to access items behind it. Homeowners with young children may like using pull out drawers for their toys.
The use of full extension slides and custom drawer boxes cost more money upfront. However, the benefit to the homeowners of having under stairs pull out drawers justifies the additional cost. Another storage solution is using rolling under stairs carts.
2. Rolling Under Stairs Carts
Carts with locking casters can roll completely free of the staircase. The cart can be used to store items like cleaning supplies or a paper towel holder and hooks for dusters. However, another cart can be used to store items like board games or craft supplies.
Using rolling under stairs carts allows the homeowners to regain the floor area beneath the stairs when the carts is stowed away. The carts must be built narrow enough to allow them to clear the stringer under the stairs. However, they must be deep enough to contain the items that are to be stored.
Additionally, adding a lip to each shelf on the under stairs cart will ensure that items will not slide off the shelves when the cart is moved. This under stairs cart idea is easily adaptable to changing storage need. Another idea is to incorporate built-in, angled bookshelves under the stairs.
3. Built-in Angled Bookshelves
These built-in shelves work best in homes wherein the staircase face a living area. Additionally, painting the under stairs bookshelves the same color as the wall will make the books appear as if they are floating beneath the stairs under certain lighting. Additionally, deeper shelves can be incorporated at the base of the under stairs bookshelves to store baskets of blankets or shoes.
The remainder of the shelves can be used for books. However, care must be taken to ensure that any tall bookshelves are securely fastened to the wall studs of the house. This is especially true in areas of the country that are prone to earthquake.
Another under stairs storage idea is to create a coat and shoe storage area. Hooks can be installed on the vertical sides of the under stairs area for coats and backpacks. A lift-top bench can be installed underneath the area to allow individuals to sit while they put on their shoes.
4. Coat and Shoe Storage Area
Drilling small ventilation holes into the sides of the bench will allow moisture to not build up inside the under stairs bench. Additionally, placing a tray into the bottom of the bench will catch the dirt that may be on the shoes of the individuals who must put on their shoes. Thus, this under stairs storage area will eliminate the need for shoes to be stored anywhere in the hallway.
Instead, the shoes will be stored in one neat spot in the under stairs area. Using the under stairs area for wine storage is one surprising idea. Under stairs wine displays can be installed along an interior staircase.
5. Wine Storage Displays
Our furniture with integrated wine storage is for those who …
The racks for the wine bottles will be shaped like diamonds to allow them to correspond to the angle of the stairs. Additionally, winemakers recommend storing the bottles on their side to store wine bottles properly. These under stairs wine displays can incorporate a glass door to allow the wine to be viewed without having to open the doors of the house.
An under stairs refrigerated unit can also be installed to store wine bottles in a cool area of the home. Under stairs area storage of wine bottles works best for stairs with a deeper section under the stairs. This deeper area can take larger wine bottles also known as magnums.
Standard kitchen wine racks cannot take magnums of wine. However, the under stairs area can. This idea will not work for under stairs areas that are exposed to direct sunlight or that are above a heating vent in the home.
Another storage idea for under stairs is to create a mini home office. A desk can be installed in the under stairs area at the tallest point of the under stairs area to allow for one or two computers and notebooks to rest on the desk. Additionally, shelves can be installed above the desk for more books.
6. Mini Home Office
Another slim drawer on under stairs casters can also be added under stairs to the home office. Under stairs LED lighting will help to remove the feeling of the under stairs area being a dark cave. Furthermore, a stool can be stored in the under stairs area when the home office is not in use.
Such an under stairs office area will work well for students in the home or for individuals who need a quiet spot in the house to focus without having to utilize an entire room for their home office. Homeowners who include this under stairs storage idea report that the psychological benefit of having a dedicated spot for an office area will increase the focus of the individuals who use the under stairs office. Using seasonal storage under the stairs is another under stairs storage idea that utilizes bins that are vacuum sealed.
7. Seasonal Storage with Vacuum Sealed Bins
Additionally, you can place the vacuum sealed bins on a platform that utilizes the depth at the back of the staircase. The platform that is built for under stairs seasonal storage must be built with pressure-treated lumber to keep the items off the concrete floor and to protect the contents of the under stairs storage bins. Furthermore, the platform will allow the homeowner to place clear plastic storage bins on the platform.
The clear plastic bins will have tracks that allow the bins to slide in and out of the under stairs area. Additionally, the bins should be labeled for items like holiday decorations, winter clothes, or sports equipment. Under stairs seasonal storage utilizes the least amount of interaction with under stairs storage.
Thus, it is the best idea for items that are only interacted with a few times each year. An under stairs area that is designated as a pet supply station can also be created. A towel bar can be installed to hang leashes for the dog.
8. Pet Supply Station
A shelf can be incorporated to display dog treats and waste bags. Furthermore, a large under stairs pull out bin can be installed at the floor level to store the dogs food. If space permits, under stairs feeding stations with elevated dog food bowls will prevent the food from sliding across the kitchen floor.
Additionally, placing the under stairs pet supply station near the front door of the home will make the morning routine easier for the homeowner. The visual clutter that is caused by pets supplies will also dissapear when the pet supplies are all located in one spot. Another under stairs storage idea is to hide a playhouse for the children in the under stairs zone.
9. Childrens Playhouse
A child-sized door can be cut into the under stairs area. Interior lighting can also be installed. Additionally, the interior of the playhouse can be painted with chalkboard paint or murals.
Small shelves can be installed along the back of the playhouse for books and toys. Additionally, a rug and a set of cushions can be purchased to allow the children to use the under stairs playhouse as a seating area. Children will happily spend hours in these under stairs playhouses.
When the children have outgrown the under stairs playhouse, the door can be removed from the under stairs zone for use as storage for adults. Finally, an under stairs area could incorporate some of the other ideas into one location. For instance, the deepest under stairs zone can feature rolling under stairs carts.
The middle portion of the under stairs area may have built-in, angled bookshelves. Under stairs coat racks can also be installed in the front portion of the under stairs area. Such a strategy for utilizing the under stairs zone will make the best use of every inch of the under stairs area.
Furthermore, such a strategy will create an under stairs storage system that appears to be meant to be in that location in the home. Several months down the road, when friends and guests come over to visit the homeowners, they will be surprised when the children ask where all of the items are and the parents will point to the stairs. Under the stairs storage zones cease to be wasted space in the home as soon as the appropriate storage idea is chosen.
Whether one under stairs storage idea is used or several are combined, the under stairs zone will begin to work for the homeowner. Furthermore, the home will suddenly feel larger in size due to the under stairs storage ideas. However, the home will feel larger not because of the addition of square footage to the home, but because every inch of the home is being put to use.
