How to make the most of the space beneath your stairs

Lily Cichanowicz Lily Cichanowicz
Loft Industrial, DIEGO REVOLLO ARQUITETURA S/S LTDA. DIEGO REVOLLO ARQUITETURA S/S LTDA. Corredores, halls e escadas industriais
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In this day and age, most places in the world are experiencing higher rents and increased costs per square metre. Though this may feel daunting and inevitable, we at homify are firm believers that almost any space can be utilised to fit its owner’s needs with just a few mindful adjustments in design. On the topic of making the most of the space we do have, there are lots of options available. Perhaps one of the trickier spots to transform into useful space is the area beneath the stairs. That’s why today we are devoting some time to this spot specifically. You can use the space beneath your stairs for a multitude of purposes from adding an extra powder room to creating more storage for books, and just about everything in between. Here we’ve shared some of our personal favourites for using the space below the stairs to its fullest potential. We can bet that you will be inspired to try your own ideas once you’re finished reading ours. Happy decorating!

Make it Zen

Projeto, Grupo HC Grupo HC Corredores, halls e escadas clássicos

Creating a small garden or life-size terrarium in the space beneath your stairs is ideal for homes with stairs that encroach upon common living areas. For example, maybe your living room is plagued by the presence of a large staircase, and you haven’t been able to figure out what exactly to do with that odd amount of space leftover. This decorative solution will help to incorporate the presence of a staircase with the utmost aesthetic appeal. Of course, it’s important to choose the type of plants you put below your staircase carefully because they don’t exactly be getting a lot of sun. Smooth stones and glass lanterns with candles in them can complete the look.

Brilliant as a bookcase

One of the most intuitive answers to how one might use the storage space below the stairs is to install some shelves. Essentially you have an entire storey’s worth of underutilised space just begging for a purpose. Why not keep your books in this spot? This is a versatile option for stairs located anywhere in the home, whether in a discrete spot of a highly visible one. The shelving unit in this smaller apartment by Azzurra Lorenzetto offers the perfect display of the owner’s colourful collection of books. It allows them to stay out of the way while still being presented on a trendy display.

Ample storage

Finding a good spot to store off-season clothing, children’s toys, and electronics can be difficult. Items such as these tend to be bulky and varied in shape. If you have a staircase that is not in a highly visible part of your home, perhaps in the basement or near the backdoor of your home, you can easily use the space beneath for storage. You can make shelves and other compartments the width of the steps themselves, and keep any number of things on your new floor-to-ceiling shelving unit. This example depicts a shelving unit installed below the cellar stairs in a finished basement. Several books and even some plants can fit on here, but we invite you to think outside the box on what you keep down here in order to best meet your own storage needs.

Luminescent displays

The nook beneath your staircase is more than the sum of its practical uses. Using the space below your stairs for display is undoubtedly clever and sure to wow your guests. We often tout bookshelves as being versatile spots to display trinkets, mementos and other memorabilia. Perhaps you might consider taking this concept to a new level. This large display shelving by Floret Arquitectura shifts from a conventional unit to being storage beneath the stairs. It’s truly remarkable and worth keeping in mind if you’re looking to do some redecorating. For an added touch, try installing lights behind the shelves like these. It will bring a pleasing warm glow to the area. Plus, shelves like these can go as high as the stairs themselves. How’s that for making use of vertical space?

Perfect spot for a powder room

The room under the stairs might conjure thoughts of Harry Potter’s bedroom when he lived with his awful aunt and uncle. As much as we love the idea of converting the space beneath the steps into a usable space, we do not advise that you keep your orphaned nephew in this room. What does work phenomenally in this spot, however, is a powder room. This is a pretty traditional route to go in terms of utilising the space beneath the steps. A powder room in this spot is perfect for entertaining lots of guests, especially if the only other bathroom is not in a common area of the home. You can easily fit a toilet and sink in this space with the help of a contractor. Perhaps you already have walls here to begin with.

Turn it into a spot for a drink

Another, charming and innovative way to bring some life to the empty space beneath your steps is to turn it into a minibar! This is especially idea if you’re looking to step up your home entertaining game. Having a designated spot for a bar in your home will make you appear classy and cultivated. It can help to add vivacity and interest to any gathering without taking up additional space. We recommend opting for a bold colour like this bright yellow bar for a touch of relevant pizzazz. Stock the bar with your favourite spirits and glasses and you’re in business! Try setting up a cocktail station at the next gathering you host, and we are certain it will be a hit.

Getting down to business

If you’re in need of focusing your time less on unwinding and more on getting down to business, the space under the stairs can be used for that too. You can easily set up a little study enclave in this spot. You can decide how much privacy you would like to add to the space by installing walls around the nook. In addition to the built-in desk, this example also features some little shelves for easy storage of office supplies. It makes for a fun and interesting spot for the children to do their homework or an optimal area for you to work from home within earshot of the family.

Converted closet

Many times, there is not enough closet space to comfortably fit ours and our partner’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. Break from convention by turning the nook underneath your stairs in a more spacious closet and dressing room! You can install shelves of various dimensions as depicted in this room to best accommodate your personal items including handbags, heels, scarves, and bulky sweaters. This is best suited for stairs in proximity to your bedroom that don’t get a lot of visibility from guests. It is particularly ideal for stairs leading up to a converted loft in a teen’s bedroom, for instance.

Finally, this is a good spot for a home gallery

If you’d like to incorporate the steps into your interior in an aesthetically pleasing way, try working with the shape of the stairs with the help of some framed artwork. Arranging several smaller eclectic pieces beneath the stairs in such a way that the display mimics the slant of the steps will make the staircase feel more succinct with the room at large. Alternatively, you can hang large works of art here as they will fill the empty space and draw the eye. In the case of this room, the winding staircase becomes a work of art in its own right nestled between these two gorgeous pieces. 

If you loved these ideas for how to best utilise the space beneath your stairs check out these 7 great ways to de-clutter your home

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