When it comes to home organization and storage, every inch counts. You might try reorganizing your closet to fit more clothes, changing the way you store things in your kitchen pantry, or even installing vertical storage in your garage, but sometimes it’s not enough. However, there are usually a few extra storage spots within your home that get forgotten, especially the space under the stairs. With a few tools and some DIY motivation, you can transform the area under your stairs into a functional and stylish storage solution that can help declutter your home and maximize living space. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of adding under stair storage solutions to your home and how to do it.
What Exactly is Under Stair Storage?
Under stair storage is precisely what it sounds like—taking the space beneath a staircase that’s often unused and converting it into room for storage. This could mean adding a little closet, installing drawers, or even enhancing the support of the stairs and transforming it into a little workroom. The space can be used to hold a variety of things, such as shoes, coats, bags, and other household items. It can also be used for more specific purposes, such as a wine cellar, a pantry, or even a small home office. There are many different ways to design and build under stair storage, depending on the size and layout of your home. It really just depends on your needs and preferences. Regardless of why you want to use it, under stair storage is a great way to make the most out of every inch in your home.
6 Benefits of Incorporating Under Stair Storage
Your staircase is one of the most overlooked parts of your home. It allows you to traverse between floors and often provides a nice focal point in the entryway or living room. However, many homeowners aren’t using it to its full potential. To help you better understand, consider some of the following benefits of incorporating under stair storage.
1. Declutter Your Home
Taking the time to declutter your home can have several benefits. Decluttering has been shown to improve mental health, reduce stress levels, and even boost productivity. It can also make things easier when cleaning or organizing your home while simultaneously improving overall aesthetics. However, there’s only so many places to put that excess clutter. Installing storage under the stairs gives you the perfect spot to keep things safe and out of the way when you don’t need them.
2. Increase Storage Space
Depending on the size of your home, you may not have much extra space for storage. This can be problematic, especially if you have a lot of belongings. When you don’t have a place for everything, you may find yourself tripping over toys or shoes, and getting frustrated at the mess that unused items can make. Utilizing the space under stairs can add valuable storage to your home, which can be used to store items that you don’t want to see every day. If you still need more storage, however, it may be beneficial to rent out a self-storage unit nearby for things you don’t use regularly throughout the year.
3. Maximize Living Space
When you have a place to store items that would otherwise clutter your home, you’ll maximize the amount of living space that you and your family can use. This helps improve overall functionality of each room and increase your comfort levels. It also makes it much easier to move around your home with ease, whether you’re enjoying a quiet night in with your family or hosting guests for a holiday or dinner party. When you store larger or bulkier items out of sight, you can also improve the amount of natural light that reaches your space, which has a tremendous benefit on your overall mood and wellbeing.
4. Improve Organization
Adding under stairs storage can also give you more room to optimize your organizational skills. It allows you to designate spaced for specific items, which can make it easier to find things when you need them. When you have a place for everything, you also won’t have to sort through a big mess of items in order to find what you’re looking for. This saves you time and any extra stress of having to put everything back in its place.
5. Increase Home Value
Many homes are severely lacking in adequate storage space, making it an attractive feature for those looking to move. Adding under stair storage can increase the overall value of your home, as it’s considered a desirable feature by many buyers. Even if you’re not planning a move right now, adding extra storage will always have a good return on investment in the future.
6. Enhance Aesthetics
Finally, under stair storage can help you enhance the overall aesthetics of your home. In fact, depending on how you want to use it, the storage space can be designed to match the style of your home or extend the functionality of a space. For example, an open concept layout can give you more storage space and provide an extra area for you to display unique décor. There are several ways that you can design under stair storage to complement your home with a little creativity.
How to Add Under Stair Storage Solutions to Your Home
Under stair storage can be added to your home using several techniques. Although most commonly, homeowners tend to build a closet that’s hidden with a door, open concepts and hollowed out room for functional areas is becoming increasingly popular. To help you get a few more ideas, consider some of the possibilities below.
Building Shelves or Drawers
One of the most popular ways to add under stair storage is to build shelving units. You can install shelves or drawers underneath your stairs to create additional storage space for books, shoes, or other items. This creates a more cohesive look that blends into the wall, so storage is discreet yet easily accessible.
Creating a Closet
Another option is to add a functional closet underneath your stairs. This can be shut off with a door like a traditional closet or you can create an open-concept entryway with hooks, a small bench, and some cubbies for shoes similar to a mudroom. You can also create a bunch of small, singular “closets” that all open on separate hinges.
Building a Wine Cellar
If you’re a wine concessioner and have always wanted your very own in-home wine cellar, you can build one under your stairs. You’ll want to make sure that this can be set up to store your wine collection in the correct temperatures and humidity levels, but the extra work involved is worth it if this is something you’ve always wanted.
Building a Pantry
Some homes have staircases that are near the kitchen. If your is, and you need extra room for food storage or kitchen utensils, consider building an additional pantry space under the stairs. This can help you maximize the space in smaller kitchens without having to undergo expensive home renovations.
Building a Workspace
Another creative way to use the space under your stairs is to transform it into a workspace. You can use it as a small home office or place for crafts depending on your needs. This allows you to compartmentalize and keep the rest of your home free from work or craft-related clutter.
Although the opportunities are endless, it’s important that you’re safe when transforming the area under your stairs into a storage solution. Therefore, it’s best to consult with a professional contractor to determine the best use of the space, and to ensure that any structural changes are done safely and up to code.
If you still need more storage space within your home, or would rather transform the space under your stairs into a small office, consider renting out a self-storage unit from The Lock up Self Storage. The Lock Up offers temperature controlled self-storage units in various sizes to supplement your home storage. Our flexible leasing options allow for short-term rentals with the option to extend into long-term solutions. All of our units are climate controlled with stable humidity levels to keep your belongings in great condition, regardless of how long you need to keep them in storage. As an added bonus, our facilities are protected with top-of-the-line security features such as perimeter alarms, gated access codes, and 24/7 CCTV. For more information about our available self-storage units and sizing options, contact us at 1-866-327-LOCK or visit one of our locations for a tour.
