In most houses, the space under the stairs is a cupboard with a single door, a light if you’re lucky, and a pile of things nobody can reach. It’s an awkward shape: tall at one end, low at the other, and deep. That’s exactly why fitted storage works so well there. Furniture made for the space can use all of it, including the low end and the far back.
This guide looks at the main ideas for under-stairs storage, from pull-out drawers to a small desk, and the practical points to check first. In many London terraces this space also holds the meters and fuse board, and those must stay easy to reach.
Understanding the space
Before choosing a design, look at what you have. Under-stairs spaces come in a few common forms:
- An enclosed cupboard with a door at the tall end, common in Victorian and Edwardian terraces.
- An open space under a staircase that rises in a hallway or living room, common in newer homes and some interwar semis.
- A space under a turning stair, where the stairs change direction and the shape is more complex.
Note the height at each end, the depth from front to back, and what’s inside: meters, a fuse board, pipes or cables. Note which side you can reach it from, and whether there’s a socket or light nearby.
Pull-out drawers
Pull-out drawers are one of the best uses of an under-stairs space, because they bring the deep back of the space out to you. Instead of crawling in to find something, you pull a drawer out and see everything at once.
Tall pull-outs at the high end can hold coats on hooks or a rail. Lower drawers along the slope suit shoes, bags, boxes or cleaning things. Each drawer is made to the height available at its position, so the fronts step down with the stairs and the whole space is used.
Drawers need room in front to pull out fully. In a narrow hallway, check there’s enough space to open them without blocking the hall.
Cupboards with doors
Cupboards are simpler and suit spaces where drawers won’t open fully, or where you want to keep larger things like a vacuum cleaner, an ironing board or suitcases. Doors can follow the slope of the stairs, with angled tops, so the front looks neat and built-in.
Inside, shelves at different heights, hooks on the back of doors and a rail for coats make the most of the space. A mix of cupboards and drawers often works best, with a tall cupboard at the high end and drawers in the lower part.
Coats and shoes
In a narrow Victorian hallway, there’s rarely room for a coat stand or shoe rack. The space under the stairs can take over that job. A section near the front door with hooks or a rail for coats and pull-out shelves for shoes keeps the hall clear. Ventilation helps damp coats and shoes dry, so slatted shelves or small openings in the doors are worth thinking about.
Think about who uses the space, too. Low hooks and a low shoe drawer let children put their own things away. A shallow shelf near the door can hold keys and post, so they stop ending up on the stairs. A section for bags and umbrellas keeps wet things away from coats.
Thinking about fitted furniture? We design, make and fit it across London: we visit, measure and talk through the design, then send a written quote. Arrange a design visit.
A small desk or study nook
Where the stairs rise in an open hall or living room, the space under them can hold a compact desk with shelves above. It won’t suit long working days, but for paperwork, a laptop or homework it can be very handy. Plan for a socket nearby; any new socket or wiring is for your electrician. Our guide to designing a built-in home office has more ideas.
Meters and fuse boards: keep access
In many terraced houses the gas meter, electricity meter or fuse board is under the stairs. These must stay accessible. Meter readers and engineers need to reach them, and you need to reach the fuse board quickly if something trips.
Good design keeps them in a section of their own, with a door or removable panel that opens fully and isn’t blocked by drawers or shelves. Don’t box meters in tightly or fix panels over them. If a meter or fuse board needs moving, that’s for your energy supplier, your electrician or a Gas Safe registered engineer, and it should be done before any storage is built. See cupboards for boilers, meters and fuse boards.
Gas work of any kind is for a registered engineer. You can check an engineer on the Gas Safe Register.
Don’t cut into the stairs
The staircase carries people safely, and its structure shouldn’t be cut or weakened to make room for storage. We build storage within the space under the stairs and fix it so the stairs aren’t affected. We don’t do structural work. If you want to change the stairs themselves, talk to a builder or structural engineer first.
The underside of the stairs may be lath-and-plaster in an older house, or plasterboard in a newer one. Fixings must suit what’s there, which we check at the design visit.
Measuring and planning
Under-stairs spaces are hard to measure, because nothing is square. Rough measurements help you plan: the height at the tall and low ends, the depth, the width, and the position of meters, pipes and sockets. Our guide on how to measure a room has tips.
At the design visit, we measure properly and talk through what you want to store. You then receive a written quote. The storage is made in our workshop and fitted in your home. To start, get in touch and arrange a design visit.
Quick answers
Can you build under-stairs storage around a gas meter?
Yes, as long as the meter stays easy to reach. It goes in its own section with a door or panel that opens fully.
Are pull-out drawers better than cupboards?
Drawers make the deep back of the space easy to reach. Cupboards suit larger items and narrow halls where drawers can’t open fully. Many designs use both.
Can you move my fuse board?
No. Moving a fuse board or meter is for your electrician or energy supplier, and gas work is for a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Can I have a desk under the stairs?
Often, yes, where the stairs rise in an open space. Plan for a socket nearby; new wiring is for your electrician.
Will the storage affect the staircase?
We build within the space and don’t cut into the stairs or change their structure.
Related services
More advice
- Cupboards for Boilers, Meters and Fuse Boards
- Storage Ideas for Victorian and Edwardian Terraces
- How to Measure a Room for Fitted Furniture
- What Happens at a Design Visit
- All advice
This guide is general information about fitted furniture. It isn’t legal, planning or building advice; for those, speak to the council, your landlord or managing agent, or a suitably qualified professional.