4 Tips To Make The Most Of Built-In Understairs Furniture

For many of us, our homes can feel too small for the amount of possessions we have. As your family grows, that issue only seems to compound. Many UK homes don’t make the most of all the available space. 

Meanwhile others simply lack storage solutions in the first instance. In fact, one survey found that 81 per cent of those in the millennial and gen Z age groups need more storage in their homes. 

If you have stairs in your home, then one obvious spot that is often under-utilised is that gap under the stairs. You might already have a cupboard there, but if you’re honest, has it become a general dumping ground rather than a space that is properly organised?

Or do you stash the likes of a vacuum cleaner, clothes horse and other paraphernalia under your stairs in a way that doesn’t make the most of the available space? 

If you answered yes to any of those questions, custom-made understairs furniture could be a game changer and help you make better use of the space available in your home. 

But where should you start when planning how best to use that space? 

1. What do you really need in your home?

This question is important, because you might be surprised by what you realise. Before you start considering the understairs area at all, make a list of what you need in your home.

That might be more storage - and if so be specific about what you want storage for - but it could also be a dedicated workspace if you work from home. 

Given that over one-quarter of adults in the UK now have a hybrid working arrangement, this could be especially relevant.

Alternatively, if you have a pet, do you need a cubby hole for them to have as their space? Maybe you would love a dedicated spot where you can curl up and read? Or do you want to turn it into a bespoke cloakroom where you can store shoes, coats and other items of outerwear?

All of these are legitimate ways to use that space underneath the stairs. 

2. What do you want to store? 

In most cases, you will want to add some kind of storage under your stairs, even if you are also considering turning part of the space into a book nook or home office. So, the next question is what do you want to store here? 

This is important because it will dictate what kind of storage solution you choose. If you’re going to use it for books and trinkets, open shelves might be appropriate. However, if it is somewhere to store more practical items, you may prefer closed cupboards or drawers. 

Another option is to add a wine rack here and create a kind of wine cellar. Or you may want somewhere for your kids to keep their toys when they aren’t playing with them. 

Once you know what items you plan to store in this space, it makes it much easier to start designing the right storage solution for your household. 

This is also why custom-made understairs furniture is such a good choice, because you can tailor it to meet your specific needs. 

3. How will this space tie in with the rest of your home?

This is where it becomes more fun. You can think about the overall style of your home decor and how you can make your understairs area fit in seamlessly with the rest of your property.

Do you want a sleek, contemporary style for your doors, or would you prefer a design that has features like beading? Perhaps a shaker style is more to your taste. There are no right or wrong answers here - this is all about defining your aesthetic preference. 

Also consider what type of finish you would like on your furniture. Do you want it to be natural wood, or would you prefer it to be painted in a specific colour? What kind of handles or knobs do you want for any cupboard doors or drawers?

When you are creating bespoke understairs furniture, you can make it work for you in every way, so get clear on what you’re looking for and the process will be much easier. 

4. Call in the professionals 

We know that there is a lot of information online about how to carry out all kinds of DIY projects, but for an area that will be highly visible in your home, like the space under your stairs, it pays to get it right from the outset.

Research from Direct Line found that almost one-quarter of the people they surveyed had been forced to call in a professional after botching their own attempts. 

In addition, 47 per cent of those questioned said that they had failed at their DIY project because they lacked the necessary skills. 

Be honest about your abilities and think carefully before attempting a project of this scale. Designing and building furniture for the space under your stairs will require precision because you are working with different angles and shapes. 

If you would like to use this area in part as a home office, or even as a reading nook, you want to ensure that the space you spend time in is well crafted and stable. 

By contacting our team of professional tradespeople, you can have peace of mind that not only will the design of your understairs furniture perfectly meet your needs, but also that the finished product will be of the highest quality. 

All of the projects we work on begin with a consultation to thoroughly understand your needs. This is where the answers to the first three questions will prove invaluable. When you can articulate what purpose you want your understairs space to serve, our experts can do the rest.

Following your consultation, our design team will create a bespoke solution to meet your needs and your budget. At this point, you review what they’re proposing and make any final changes alongside your designer before we start production of your understairs furniture.

After creating your bespoke furniture in our workshop, our team will then come to your home to install it in the space under your stairs, ensuring that it has a seamless professional finish.