I remember visiting my great aunt’s home every Thanksgiving when I was a tiny girl. My brother, cousins and I loved going there, mostly because she had a tiny cupboard underneath the stairs that we believed was the greatest secret fort .
Space beneath the staircase is frequently wasted. This area can offer spaces ranging from recessed nooks to powder rooms, depending upon your home’s configuration. Whether you are planning on building a new house or trying to locate a place for storage, do not forget to think about the possibilities beneath the staircase.
Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects
This ingenious little powder room makes the most of the staircase.
Donald K. Olsen, AIA Architects
The latest from under-stair storage: Drawers that conceal everything you want to store, such as magazines, movies, games and toys.
Stonebreaker Builders & Remodelers
I spy a coat cupboard for with a short doorway and recessed bookshelves. Did I mention that a short door makes it cooler to children?
Erotas Building Corporation
Don’t forget about borrowing distance beneath the loft staircase. This nook even has a comfy built-in seat in front of it.
Brennan + Company Architects
Bookcases such as these take advantage of what is frequently wasted space.
Angela Todd Designs, Portland, OR
A space carved out of the stairway similar to this one is a throwback to a time once the household’s one (leased ) phone would be put there, along with a telephone table and built-in seat for sitting and chatting. I recall my grandparents’ early-1900s tudor had a telephone table and built-in seat in this very place.
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Leslie Goodwin Photography
Borrowing a bit of distance beyond the staircase gave this designer sufficient room for a home office.
CWB Architects
This is the greatest fort, complete with kid-sized opening and porthole windows.
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Boor Bridges Architecture
Another secret fort concealed by a curtain is glowing pink inside.
Smith & Vansant Architects PC
This designer created the supreme fort for for children and grownups, complete with cozy pillow, cushions a curtain for privacy and a reading light. This works as a place to tuck an excess guest when one has a complete house.
Smith & Vansant Architects PC
This house has a barware cupboard and a microwave (not shown) recessed into this side of the staircase wall.
Smith & Vansant Architects PC
On the other side, a shelf to the homeowner’s many books backs up to the barware cupboard.
Tour the rest of this antique Cape
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