19 ways make the most of space under the stairs
When it comes to renovating or redecorating a house, unless it's a stately home or similar, it pays to make use of every possible storage space. You can simply never have too much storage. One of the most overlooked and useful storage areas in a house is the space under the stairs. Yes, they may be awkward shapes and slope to a crawl space at one end, but with the right tips from the pros, you can make something that works for you and keep it from being a wasted space.
Before you do anything, measure your cupboard – and maximise your space
“Firstly, measure the space,” say the team at Blockhouse Build. “The best way to do this is to do a simple drawing of the area and add the existing dimensions. Remember to check for handy sockets and switches which you don’t want to cover up.” Then you can begin to workshop the inside.
“If you want some hanging space,” the team adds, “you’ll need about 58cm depth, but don’t forget about the 2cm back plate on the joinery. Make a list of all the items you are planning to keep in the cupboard and make sure there is a space for each of them in your final design.” To make it more practical, the team recommends to “always add adjustable shelving instead of fixed.”
Maximise your space
After you've measured your cupboard, you'll want to get the most out of your newfound storage space. Nicole Salvesen of Salvesen Graham recommends adding pull out cabinets place on runners rather than separate doors as this will, according to Nicole, “enable you to use the full depth and can be good for that awkward low space.”
Of course, no matter how you choose to use your cupboard under the stairs, don't ignore the part near the bottom step as you can fit a lot down there. Cut the space into three or four separate cupboards and use that last one for small items like folding bikes, boxes of Christmas decorations or unsightly shoes.
Let the cupboard shine
Milly Boath of Blockhouse Build – whose work you can see in Matilda Goad's house renovation – advises that “a built-in cupboard shouldn’t be hidden - it’s a nice way to show your style so have some fun, think about adding some panelling details, or you could cover with wallpaper, or maybe paint it in a bold high gloss finish.” Another way to make your under-stair cupboard shine? Milly recommends adding an LED light (also a practical addition as cupboards under the stairs tend to be dark).
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Beautify your cupboard
It can be difficult to know how to prettify your cupboard – especially if, until now, you've only considered it as dead space. One of our favourite examples of how to create a thing of beauty under the stairs comes from interior designer Lonika Chande's former house in Queen's Park. Lonika recommends splitting the space into two, with one side concealed and the other open storage, which is precisely what she did with a reading nook at the highest end and hidden cupboards further along. “That little nook under the stairs is such a useful one,” says Lonika, “and a great space to hang coats, tidy away scooters, dog leads, and life clobber – but it’s also at risk of becoming a bit of a dumping ground.”
Another way to add beauty – and utility – to your cupboard is by adding books and textiles to the exposed shelving which, according to Lonika “instantly elevates this space and makes it feel homely.” In the concealed section, Lonika recommends including “simple painted shelves to tidy away spare paint pots, or a hook on the back of the cupboard door for those surplus carrier bags. These touches are easy to do, but make the world of difference.”
Adding considered details like panelling or an interesting paint finish to your cupboard's doors is another surefire way to prettify your cupboard. Nicole mentions that “beautiful ironmongery can also set off the space beautifully and make it feel purposeful. Do use a hardwiring finish though as it will inevitably get lots of hits and this will protect from hand marks that can build up on a well-used space!”
Design inspiration for under the stairs from the House & Garden archive
Christopher Horwood1/19In this Sussex farmhouse designed by Lucy Cunningham, Jean Monroe's ‘Gooseberry’ wallpaper adds pattern to hallway, where a small, discrete cupboard under the stairs is painted to clend with the balustrade.
2/19The 1990s decoration of Patrick Frey’s Paris apartment is a lesson in matching a scheme to the historical period of a building. The walls around the 1790s Neoclassical stairwell have been sponged in a shade reminiscent of Directoire yellow, which much like the skirting board, has been extended across the door to the under-stairs cupboard, helping to conceal it.
Richard Powers3/19The staircase at the house of design writer Maryam Montague, just outside Marrakesh, looks tiled, but the risers are in fact painted with designs that Maryam created in collaboration with stencil artist Melanie Royals. Underneath the second flight of stairs, is a small space, perfect for a coat cupboard or downstairs loo. It is illuminated by a glass ceiling.
Elsa Young4/19“Between the hall and the children's floor, we took the place apart,” says the architect of this 1850s London terrace, Maria Speake of Retrouvious, “Clients are anxious about moving things structurally, but often it is the easiest thing to do, and financially it is not a big deal. You can spend a fortune on cupboards, but a few good bits of steel can create the most dramatic change.” And the dramatic change she made was to get rid of the original staircase and replace it with this slim one on a side wall, opening out the space that is now the hall. The space also includes a wall of storage and a bookshelf.
Simon Brown5/19Designer and architect Ben Pentreath created this scaled-up version of Rocque's 1746 map of London for the staircase at his friend and business partner Bridie Hall's Canonbury house. Hidden below the staircase are cupboards, perfect for front hall storage.
Sarah Hogan6/19Narnia-like surprises abound in Susanna Swallow's enchanting cottage, located in the unlikely urban setting of Shepherd's Bush. Her front hall is an excellent example of Lonika's advice to have both concealed storage as well as exposed shelving for your under-stair cupboards.
Paul Massey7/19In the lower-ground-floor entrance to her friend Annabel White's house in London, designer Suzanne Sharp – formerly of The Rug Company – had the tongue-and-groove panelling (which conceals plenty of useful storage) painted in Farrow & Ball's rich ‘Rectory Red’ for a dramatic effect. The paint's shiny gloss finish also helps to maximise the limited amount of natural light by bouncing it around the room. A colourful rug completes this eye-catching scheme.
Christopher Horwood8/19The hallway in Lucy Williams' London house is a study in pink, with Myland's Soho House on the walls and reclaimed quarry tiles on the floor. In a complementary tone, the stairs – and the well-hidden cupboard beneath them – are painted in Paper & Paints Porphyry Red.
Michael Sinclair9/19This jewel box under the stairs designed by Retrouvius was created using a quartet of greens. An enamelled wash basin, vitralite float glass and spangly 1930's wallpaper are all salvaged, with flooring in thick glazed tiles. A vintage Italian mirror is backlit to bring it all to life.
Romain Laprade10/19Fabrizio Casiraghi describes the small living room in his Paris flat as “a collection of memories.” To maximise storage space (and to hide away unseemly bits which would overwhelm the tiny space), Fabrizio added under-stair cabinets, painting them a lacquered cream colour, which helps them to blend into their surroundings in an elegant fashion.
Helen Cathcart11/19A mirrored nook in Isabella Worsely's mews house in Hove helps to bounce the light around, a creative use of under-stair space.
Michael Sinclair12/19At the back of this farm outbuilding conversion designed by Thea Speake, a small closet is hidden under the stairs, a practical and space-saving location to hang coats and stash household and gardening tools.
Paul Massey13/19Whilst not strictly a cupboard, the stacked storage system by Muuto elegantly separates the sitting area from the kitchen in this London apartment by Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay, and echoes the lines of the suspended stainless-steel staircase – a modern take on the traditional under-stair cupboard.
Owen Gale14/19In the front hall of her London house, homeware designer Alice Palmer painted her under-stair cupboards in ‘Turmeric’ from Francesca's Paints, which offset the patterned floor tiles and match the front door.
Paul Massey15/19Lonika Chande's under stair decorating is a masterclass in how to use the space effectively. At the tallest end, she's added a reading nook with textiles and books bringing texture to the area. Under the rest of the stairs, concealed cupboards add useful storage, with hooks on the back of the doors creating more useful space.
16/19De Rosee Sa are an architecture and interior design firm, meaning they can work wonders on both the functional space and the look of a project. In this London house, the design team made great use of the potential under the stairs, adding hidden doors within the grey panelled front. A smaller and larger cupboard are hidden away so that unsightly items like hoovers and brooms have a space, while at the highest point, they've added smart shelves that house a colourful collection of books, art and family photographs.
17/19In this project by Amelia McNeil and Lucy Wood, the space has been used masterfully to create a sleek wine storage system. Glass doors allow the owners to easily assess their collection and choose a bottle, while wooden fronts and white crittall doors make it a very stylish look that works perfectly with the rest of the house.
18/19When Golden Design took on this Tufnell Park project, the owners had already converted the loft and, as Ellen of the studio says, had “these very chunky, contemporary oak stairs installed. The space underneath had been left completely empty, which was a shame from both a practical and aesthetic perspective. We sourced a matching timber and designed these built in shelves in a matching thickness to complement the existing stair treads, and oiled them to match.” It is now a very lovely bookshelf system.
Sharyn Cairns19/19In this London townhouse designed by Suzy Hoodless, the interior designer has added glass fronted Crittal doors to the cupboard under the stairs, matching them perfectly to the doors out to the garden and black accents of the stairs themselves.
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