Organized Steps: Under Stairs Storage Ideas

If you feel like you’ve filled up all the storage space in your home, there might still be another viable spot: the space under your stairs! 

Yes, believe it or not, the space under your stairway can provide you with additional nooks and crannies for office supplies, toys, and various odds and ends. You can create closets, walk-in spaces, desk areas, pantries, bookshelves, playrooms, and more using that otherwise forgotten space under your stairs. 

But how do you go about designing a DIY under stairs storage area? We’re glad you asked! Our guide is filled with under stairs storage ideas to help you take advantage of this often overlooked storage space. Follow along to find out more about transforming the area under your stairs!

Finding and Preparing Your Under Stairs Storage

Before you can begin stashing your belongings under your staircase, it’s important to assess your living space. 

Start by examining all the staircases in your home. For example, you might have a stairway in your living room that leads up to the second story with a lot of empty space underneath it. Or, the staircase in your basement might be filled in with a wall but with tons of hollowed space behind it. Can you knock down walls? Or are you willing to make additions to those spaces? 

Once you have a better idea of where your stairs are located and how much space you’re working with, you can begin thinking about the kind of storage solutions they could offer. For instance, is the space large enough to store oversized items like your ski gear and camping equipment? Or is it more suitable for smaller items like your records or book collection?

Furthermore, think about whether you want to create a space that’s easily accessible for things you frequently use, like your cookbooks and gardening tools, or one that’s less accessible and reserved for long-term storage items, such as your holiday decorations and seasonal clothing. Also, consider whether you want your under stair storage solutions to be visible to your guests or hidden away. The beauty of this is that the options are practically endless! 

Finally, our last tip involves cleaning the space and deciding if you will tackle this storage project yourself or hire someone to do it for you.  

Now that you have a clearer idea of what you want, get ready for inspiration from all our storage project ideas below!

DIY Under Stairs Storage Projects

Many of our under stairs organization ideas will require you to get a little handy (or maybe even hire some professional help), but don’t let that stop you! 

As soon as you discover the wonders of all that overlooked space, you’ll feel totally inspired to incorporate these under stairs storage solutions into your own home!

Create Built-In Drawers

Perhaps one of the best under stairs organization ideas involves building pull-out drawers in that storage space. Just think of how many drawers you could make and how many things you could store in them! You could install a row of compact drawers or build just a few large ones, whatever you prefer. How you organize and design the drawers is up to you.

Once you build your drawers, you can go to town stashing whatever you’d like to include inside each drawer. For example, you could place all your board games and puzzles in one and your extra bedding and pillows in another! 

Construct Built-in Shelves

Stairway shelving is another go-to option that can provide you with tons of extra space. We love this option because you can get as creative as you want with it. For instance, you might design an entire built-in bookshelf that you can fill with all your favorite novels, or perhaps you’d prefer to install a few rows of shelves to showcase your record collection or display your vintage dolls. 

What’s more, when you go with under stairs shelving, this space can become part of the surrounding room’s decor! Feel free to add a few candles and trinkets, paint the wall, or lay down some wallpaper to match the look and feel of the rest of your living space. 

Design a Walk-in Storage Space

If you prefer having a storage space where you can stash all your belongings out of sight, installing a walk-in storage space may be more your speed. In fact, you can even add a hidden door, so no one will even realize it leads to your secret storage room! This is an excellent choice for those who don’t want to get fancy with displaying their items and would rather keep them hidden in plastic bins or cardboard boxes. 

Make a Workspace

The space under your stairway is perfect for creating an office space. Just imagine: You can make room for a desk and add some shelves, and then you’ll have a little nook for working and keeping all your office supplies. You can tuck your notepads, pens, and pencils in the desk drawers and place your printer, scanner, and work-related books on the shelves. We love this option because it practically creates another room in your home while providing additional storage solutions. 

Build a Pantry

If you have a stairway near your kitchen, then you might want to consider transforming the under stairs storage area into a pantry. You could build shelves for keeping food, such as spices and canned goods, and then create cabinets for storing kitchen equipment like your bread maker, blender, and espresso machine. 

You’ll quickly realize that when you take advantage of this storage space, you can declutter your kitchen and have more room to cook and entertain. 

Install a Closet

Like the pantry idea, building a closet is another of our favorite under stairs organization ideas. For this concept, you could create a cloakroom for holding all your coats and jackets, a shoe closet for keeping your shoe collection, or even just a spare closet for all your odds and ends. Add a rod for hanging clothing, incorporate shelves for holding items, or simply stack your belongings in boxes from the floor to the ceiling. 

Add Furniture

For those of you with empty space under your staircases (or those who knock down walls and create that empty space), this provides a great opportunity to add some functional furniture. 

You could place a dresser, armoire, bookshelf, or even a chest in that space and fill it with whatever knick-knacks you want. With these options, you can add decorative elements, like a potted plant or framed family photos. However, you may also want to experiment with hidden storage solutions, like a bench, sofa, or even an ottoman with built-in storage space. 

Design a Playroom

Are you constantly tripping over your kids’ toys? It might be time to give those toys a new space. Depending on how much under stairs storage space you have, you could make a compact nook with cubbies for storing their toys or go with a full-on playroom, where they can read books and play games. This way, all their toys will have a home, and your kids can stop asking you where they left their favorite stuffed animals and baby dolls!

Make a Room for Your Pets

You might have a small pet, but their stuff sure takes up space! Whether it’s your cat’s litter box and scratching posts that are taking over your home or your dog’s fuzzy beds and chew toys that are everywhere you look, why not create a little nook for your pets to call their own? You can carve out a little space under the stairway to keep all their supplies, from brushes to treats. And the best part about this spot is that it can give your pets a safe space to retreat when they want some alone time. 

Stack Bins or Crates

If decorating your home or focusing on decor isn’t your thing, no sweat! There are tons of ways to use your under the stairs storage space without fussing with aesthetics. For example, why not stock up on some bins or crates and then neatly stack them under your stairs? You could place your items in clear plastic bins with lids or a series of wooden cartons. If you go this route, you might be surprised at how much space you can utilize under those stairs of yours. 

Contact Stor-It Today

Storing your items isn’t rocket science, but it’s ok if you’re unsure about how to go about it. You can count on us for useful tips that will make your next storing endeavor a breeze. Whether you need help making the most of a tiny space or figuring out how much storage space you need, allow us to assist you. We’re the oldest and largest storage facility in Idaho, meaning we know storage like no one’s business. Contact us today to find out more!