STAIR OPTIONS

The under-stairs cupboard is often taken for granted but a clear-out, rethink and refit can work wonders. One idea is to divide it into three sections, each with its own door, using the tallest for large items you use most days – like the vacuum cleaner and ironing board – the middle compartment for jackets and scarves and one for your DIY equipment and tools. Or, if you’re serious about wine, how about transforming it into your very own cellar?

In an open-plan area, you could expand kitchen storage by creating a pantry or adding shelves and pull-out compartments for crockery, glassware and saucepans. And, with a little imagination and decent carpentry skills, the stair risers could be turned into rows of handy drawers.