I'm not sure I follow- is the door to the mechanical room under the stairs as well? I wouldn't want children to be able to secretly get into there. As for a children's door, I would have fun with it- make it small, and fun- odd shaped, or crooked, or something to make it special to a child.

Per the plan, there is no real way to get under the staircase. I agree, even if we opened up the back of the staircase (the vertical wall where you see the treads begin), I wouldn't want kiddos to access it via the door to the Mech room. so, what I'm thinking is make the door that you see on the left hand side into a cased opening & add another, short wall parallel to that for the door to the Mech room.

I agree that the door into under-the-stairs-land should be fun, but while we're waiting for these non-existent grandkids, we can work on that. Even if we put a conventional door there, now, DH can come back later and make it a little door w/i the big door or even a dutch door would be fun.

I know that Harry Potter lived under the stairs at his aunt's house, so this could be really magical.

I don't understand. Is this 'fort' the area immediately under the stairs or is under more area than that?

Here's a Harry Potter closet I found last year when I was trying to do search for something else. Is this the sort of thing you have in mind?

Here is a link that might be useful: Harry Potter Closet

I think immediately under the stairs is plenty of room for kids. In my 2 previous houses, this is where the guest coat closet was, but in those houses the staircase went from the main floor to the upper floor. In our house, the stairs go down from the main floor to the walkout basement, so I can get a little whimsical about how the space under them is used.

Thanks for the Harry Potter link. We could put the door on that face of the stairs, but I thought that surface would be reserved for little portholes or secret peepholes that look out into the rec room. We're not ready to do anything, for a while, but would like to have the staircase framed so that we wouldn't be paying to move things when we do outfit it for kids' make believe. (I did notice that the Harry Potter closet was done for the owner's grandson.)

For my grandson, I made a small closet and they made the door small that matched the other doors. You go through that door, and then to the right is a smaller doorway, which leads to his hide-a-way, which is the length of the green wall.

I put an LED night light in there. I was hoping this might help out with spiders in dark places. I also dont have to worry about a light being left on and something up against it and causing a fire.

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gopintos - that is so very darling. I love it.

Being wise in the ways of little ones, I think I will have them frame so there could be a relatively full size door at the back of the stairs that allows grown-up access to the space. Then, frame for a little door at the front of the staircase so there is a "secret" way into the space that can be hidden behind something like a shallow false cabinet.

Several of our future neighbors are into model railroading. I plan on having this house "infested" with Urban Fairies, including my kitchen. LOL!

Here is a link that might be useful: Urban Fairies of Ann Arbor

it's so funny you mentioned this. We're just about done with our build and we're using the area under the stairs as a coat/storage closet, but we noticed that this little nook would be such an awesome place as a child to use as a fort or a mini-command center. There is definitely enough space to be useful.

Here is a similar example under rooflines not stairs for what its worth

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My builder was planning on a shelf unit in the wall, leaving tons of unused space behind it. I foresaw the fort idea and suggested it. He nixed the shelving and instead did wallboard all inside, no change in cost. This was fifteen years ago, all we have used it for is pillow storage etc, but I'm happy to report we have a six month old "little warrior" to man the fort shortly.

WOW! Thanks for the great ideas. srercrcr - post pictures of his first "skirmish". LOL!

OK, for now, I plan to ask the builder to make the door on the left a cased opening, put in a wall parallel to that for the actual door to the mech room & treat the area under the stairs as if it were a closet entered from the area between the two walls, above.

Is there anything that needs to be to the long side of the staircase (non-mech room side) to allow for future mini windows and/or door? For now, I would just want it to be finished off with sheetrock & we would tackle the real "fort" project in the future when there are non-hypothetical grandkids.

Thank - Jo Ann

We have a small 'fort', also for our hypothetical grandkids, in a closet made from an area of sloping roof in our upstairs. It has a short door. I call it the 'barbie room'.

One thing you might think about adding is a heat/air duct. We have a fluorescent light fixture in there, as well. I plan on putting up a wallpaper window scene (see the link, below, and search for "window"), a little bookshelf, and a faux bear rug, or something like it.

Here is a link that might be useful: cute wallpaper window

I used to have a great picture from Southern Living that I think is similar to what you are talking about. The builder framed a little 2' high door trimmed in a miniature version of the trim used in the room, with a framed window on either side, and a painted window box under the windows, a house number above the door, etc. Basically decorated to look like the outside of a cottage. Seems it could be tailored a lot to suit the interest of the child. I love the idea -- would have loved it as a kid, too.

I've always liked this one:

It's from a Visbeen plan called "The Hampshire". From the look of the floor plan it extends into the area under the stairs.

It seems to be a real simple and low-cost way to add a cool bonus feature to your home, and takes advantage of what usually ends up dead space.

Here is a link that might be useful: Visbeen's Hampshire

oicu812, it kills me when people post things that I like bc then I start having regrets/second thoughts about our house, as if I don't have enough already! :) Seriously, though, not only do I like the play house idea, but I actually like a lot of aspects of the Hampshire house plan. I keep wondering if we really are building the perfect plan for us, or if I messed up. I guess only time will tell.

It just occurred to me that I will someday have a space under the basement stairs, and that there may be 'hypothetical' grandchildren (if DS can tear himself away from the computer long enough LOL). Yikes! I guess I better save some of these ideas, just in case....