The space under a straight staircase is a long wedge: tall at one end, a few hundred millimetres high at the other, and as deep as the stairs are wide. A door on the end turns it into a dark cupboard nobody can reach the back of. Units that pull out from the side use all of it.
Measure the wedge
- The length along the floor, from the tall end to where the underside of the stairs meets the floor (or as far as you'll use).
- The height under the stairs at each end of that length, and every 500 mm or so between, from the floor to the underside of the stairs or the plasterboard.
- The depth from the open side back to the wall: usually about the width of the stairs, 800 to 900 mm.
Draw it: the heights give the slope, and the slope is what every unit's top follows. Check the floor for level and the side wall for plumb, as you would for any fitted unit.
Pull-outs or cupboards
- Tall pull-outs run front to back on heavy-duty full-extension runners, each its own height as the stairs come down. Everything in them comes out into the light. They suit coats and shoes at the tall end, and boxes and cleaning things lower down.
- Drawers stacked in the lower part use the depth well. Use the longest runners the depth allows: see drawer runner lengths and drawer depth, and the drawer box calculator for each part's size.
- A cupboard at the tall end with a door is the cheapest, and good for a vacuum cleaner or anything tall.
A pull-out that's 800 mm deep and full of shoes is heavy: use runners rated for the load, and fix the unit to the floor so it can't tip forward when it's open.
Following the slope
Each unit's top slopes with the stairs, so its sides are cut to the same angle and its top is cut to the sloping length. Keep a small gap under the stairs rather than fitting tight, so the stairs can move a little without binding the units, and cover it with a scribed piece.
Before you build
- Fire safety. In some homes, especially three storeys or more, the stairs are the escape route and the space under them must stay fire-protected. Don't take off the plasterboard under the stairs, and check with building control if you're not sure.
- Meters and stopcocks. Gas and electric meters and the water stopcock often live under the stairs. Keep them reachable, and keep any meter's ventilation clear.
- The stairs themselves. Never cut into the strings or the timbers that carry the stairs.
Design it in JoinerKit
In JoinerKit, add sloped-top units side by side along the wall, each with its top following the stairs at the heights you measured. Add drawers or shelves in each, and JoinerKit cuts them to the slope, picks the longest runners that fit, and works out the cutting list, sheet layouts and price. Turn it round in 3D to show the customer.
Questions
What's the best storage under stairs?
Pull-outs that slide out from the side on heavy-duty runners, each following the slope, use all the space and bring everything into the light. A cupboard at the tall end suits a vacuum cleaner.
How do I measure under the stairs for storage?
Measure the length along the floor, the height under the stairs at each end and every 500 mm or so, and the depth back to the wall. Draw it to find the slope.
Can I put storage under the stairs in any house?
Usually, but in some homes the stairs are a protected escape route, so the fire protection under them must stay. Keep meters and the stopcock reachable, and never cut the stairs' strings.