Make More of space Under the stairs

If the area underneath your staircase is doing nothing, or is home to a dark and cluttered cupboard, you’re missing out on a prime patch of interior real estate. Put the understairs to better use and you’ll free up floor space that might otherwise be taken up by furniture, or you can even add an extra functional area. Large single cupboards can prove a headache as items can get pushed into the furthest reaches, so creating internal partitioning and fitting a series of doors is a useful strategy for access to all areas. Pull-out shelving is also an option, so you don’t even have to reach into the cupboard – try it for shoe collections, for example. Alternatively, if you don’t have a downstairs cloakroom, under the stairs can be the place to add one in. If connection to the soil pipe is a problem, a macerator pump could be a solution. Another alternative is to fit a home office beneath the staircase – building in a desk and storage can make the most of the slope. Budget from around £1,500 for fitted storage depending on materials and finishes; from about £1,800 for a fitted home office; and from around £3,500 for a WC and basin. ➤

this kitchen is part of an open-plan layout in a London home, so staircase specialists Bisca built kitchen cabinets in solid wood beneath the stairs, linking the two elements and maximising the room’s floor area. Bisca’s bespoke staircases start from...