Decorating Under the Stairs

Create a compact home office, telephone alcove, or airy, orderly storeroom under the stairs and relieve pressure on other areas of your home at the same time.

The area under the stairs is often neglected. Once you recognize its potential, however, you can transform it in a variety of ways. With a little thought you could turn it into an efficient storage area, designed around your particular needs; or you could open it up into a room or hallway, thus increasing available space and giving your home a more open-plan feel.

Depending on the pitch of the stairs, there may be enough room at one end to stand, in which case the space can be put to many uses. If the water supply and drain lines are close, you could install a shower or toilet, or even turn the area into a mini-utility room, fitted with a washing machine and dryer.

However you decide to use the space, aim to unify it with the surrounding decor by painting it in the same colors or papering it in similar wallpaper. Continue the existing floor covering, if possible, or keep closely to its tone and style, even if you are using the space for storage. That way the newly converted area looks a planned part of your home, rather than an afterthought.

Opening up the Space

The ease with which you can open up the area under the stairs depends on the type of staircase and its position in the house. In many instances the space under the staircase is already enclosed by paneling and opening it up simply involves removing the wood panels. Before you start though, it is important to assess the construction of your staircase.

The simplest type of staircase – a straight staircase supported at the top against a wall – is the easiest to open up because the timbers under the stair serve only to support the paneling. A straight staircase between two side walls (with access to the space from an adjoining room) is the most difficult to open up as both walls are likely to be load bearing. In this situation you need professional advice and help, and perhaps a building permit, before you can remove the walls.

With quarter-turn, half-turn, and some straight staircases that extend onto a landing, the top of the stairs and intermediate landings are supported by a large timber post called a newel. You can easily identify it because it is much bigger than the timbers that support the understair area, and usually lines up with the corner post of the stairs above.

You should never remove a newel post without consulting an architect or builder first, as it is a complicated structural conversion that may require a building permit. If you do go ahead and remove it without professional advice, the stairs above could fall down on you. However, you can remove the paneling which screens off the area under the stairs without any fear of collapse, and then plan how you use the space around the newel post