What to Build Under the Stairs
These imaginative examples show the many ways to use this space — as a playhouse, study, wine cellar or bike rack
That space under the stairs is the space you try not to think about, right? If there’s a cabinet, it’s crammed with old shoe boxes and the vacuum cleaner. If it’s open, dust balls are caught underneath the bottom couple of treads, where it’s really hard to clean. It’s an awkward space, in other words. The point of this roundup is that, with a little thought, this space can be as important a part of your house as any other. You may have to find somewhere else for the vacuum cleaner, though.
Alternatively, you could close in the space: Kids love playrooms, and they love making huts and hiding away. This California house — which is otherwise lovely and adult, with white walls and bleached floors — includes a tiny windowless area under the stairs that’s painted a vibrant, disruptive green.
Inside are all kinds of toys and books. The door is so low and narrow that it’s truly a kid-size space — adults would struggle to intrude here, and that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?
Study
Then there’s the old put-the-office-under-the-stairs treatment — which in this Texas example extends to more than shoving a desk in the corner and hoping for the best. Here, the desk abuts built-in cabinets, and a wooden sliding door closes it off when the work is done.
Then there’s the old put-the-office-under-the-stairs treatment — which in this Texas example extends to more than shoving a desk in the corner and hoping for the best. Here, the desk abuts built-in cabinets, and a wooden sliding door closes it off when the work is done.
With this elegant Australian stairway, open risers descend from the upper story over a wood-and-white desk, the end of which extends over plenty of nicely built drawers to become part of the stair.
A few extra stairs then bring you down to ground level. I particularly like this example because of its precision: The desk would have to sit at a particular height to make it functional, and then you’d need to work out how to make the stairs from the desktop down to the ground floor even, and that might affect the height of your risers up to the top level. Architectural gymnastics, nicely done.
Library
The thing about books on shelves is that they fill up spaces and allow the air around them to move. They’re both storage and decoration, but they don’t close in a room. So building spaces under the stairs for books is an ideal solution. There’s a hint of what’s behind, rather than a solid piece of wall, and this makes things seem airy and deeper than they probably are.
The thing about books on shelves is that they fill up spaces and allow the air around them to move. They’re both storage and decoration, but they don’t close in a room. So building spaces under the stairs for books is an ideal solution. There’s a hint of what’s behind, rather than a solid piece of wall, and this makes things seem airy and deeper than they probably are.
Of course, you could go all out and build an actual library under the stairs. The placement of the staircase in this California home creates a three-sided room that is ideal for these beautifully wrought wooden bookcases, as well as an easy chair for reading. It’s the perfect use for a space that would otherwise be white and empty — and the books will help absorb a bit of noise too. Thank goodness for cabinetry.
In this house in Italy, the designers opted for a hybrid of library and storage, with the shelves and cabinets wrapping around a perfectly articulated set of risers, and offset by an elegantly spare handrail. It’s particularly skillful: There is light and air, and the colors from the books add vibrancy to an otherwise all-white scheme. (Building codes in your locale may require modifications.)
Reading Nook
Closely related to the library is the reading nook. This one’s in the front hall, so it could also act as a handy place to stop and put on your shoes before going out, though my fear is that this would get used to pile up coats. I’m intrigued by the very low door at ground level too. Is that where the vacuum cleaner goes?
Take a look at book lovers’ nooks
Closely related to the library is the reading nook. This one’s in the front hall, so it could also act as a handy place to stop and put on your shoes before going out, though my fear is that this would get used to pile up coats. I’m intrigued by the very low door at ground level too. Is that where the vacuum cleaner goes?
Take a look at book lovers’ nooks
Storage
It’s the modern person’s bête noire: Where do we put all this stuff? Answer: Under the stairs! Only you could do it in a sophisticated way, as in this New York City loft, with a variety of drawers (rather than one big cabinet) pulling out to provide nicely rationalized storage. The wood interiors are a beautiful touch, and the tall cabinet at the right is a smart move for necessities such as ironing boards.
It’s the modern person’s bête noire: Where do we put all this stuff? Answer: Under the stairs! Only you could do it in a sophisticated way, as in this New York City loft, with a variety of drawers (rather than one big cabinet) pulling out to provide nicely rationalized storage. The wood interiors are a beautiful touch, and the tall cabinet at the right is a smart move for necessities such as ironing boards.
The best storage is both practical and beautiful, and in the case of stairs, there’s a strong argument to be made in favor of exposing the risers in some way — as the tops of the doors do in this project in Brooklyn, New York. Notice how the fridge just slips in beautifully to the left there as well, with handy cupboards above.
Here’s another beautifully realized version, this time set back in under the angle of the stair, with nice long cabinets to hide everything away. This works well with the minimalist approach of this Australian home.
For the ultimate touch, why not turn the stairs themselves into drawers, as in this ingenious option?
Or why not make the stairs out of storage, rather than storage out of stairs? In this fine example in Seattle, the stairs are fashioned from fixed wood boxes. There’s room for all manner of junk in the boxes, and the stairs have a floating, open feel: You hardly notice they’re there at all. (Building codes in your locale may require modifications to this stairway and the next.)
An awkward, forgotten space is often an opportunity in disguise. It can have function and be turned into a place of fun — or it can even just be delightfully playful (not to mention easy to clean), as shown by this suspended staircase in a house by Blässe Laser Architekten in Leipzig, Germany.
Bike Storage
It’s a common equation: No garage plus narrow hallway equals bikes stored inside in the hallway for you to fall over as you make your way through the house. In this case, they’re nicely tucked away on hooks under the stairs, ready for action. The front door in this house is to the right of the stairs in this image: The bikes are tucked neatly away but still handy for a quick exit. Nicely done. (And the cutouts in the ply screen are a great touch.)
It’s a common equation: No garage plus narrow hallway equals bikes stored inside in the hallway for you to fall over as you make your way through the house. In this case, they’re nicely tucked away on hooks under the stairs, ready for action. The front door in this house is to the right of the stairs in this image: The bikes are tucked neatly away but still handy for a quick exit. Nicely done. (And the cutouts in the ply screen are a great touch.)
Wine Cellar
If you’ve got enough wine — and enough money — putting a cellar under the stairs is a no-brainer. You can pack a lot into the space. Better yet, if the front wall is made of glass, as this one is, you get to see your collection in all its glory. (Tip: You may need to think about how to counter the effect of ultraviolet rays on your plonk if this is in a bright room.)
If you’ve got enough wine — and enough money — putting a cellar under the stairs is a no-brainer. You can pack a lot into the space. Better yet, if the front wall is made of glass, as this one is, you get to see your collection in all its glory. (Tip: You may need to think about how to counter the effect of ultraviolet rays on your plonk if this is in a bright room.)
Make Music
There’s just enough room in this playful London house to slip in a piano, the instrument that has a habit of creating equally awkward spaces in houses. Here, this solution ensures that the piano is right in the living room — crucial to promoting regular practice.
There’s just enough room in this playful London house to slip in a piano, the instrument that has a habit of creating equally awkward spaces in houses. Here, this solution ensures that the piano is right in the living room — crucial to promoting regular practice.
Tell us: What clever things have you done with the space under the stairs? Share photos of your spaces in the Comments below.
Check out these beautiful staircases for more ideas
Check out these beautiful staircases for more ideas
Think “room under the stairs for the children,” and the wrong connotations come up (Harry Potter being one of the first to come to mind). But as this house in Sydney shows, you can quite happily give kids a place for sitting and playing that feels like a retreat from the grown-up world. The beauty of this space, of course, is that you could quite happily sit here with a book and a cup of coffee, and hide from the children instead.