Finding hidden potential in your home may not be as hard as you think. You need a keen eye and the ability to transform a space into an area that is useful or just plain fun!
Closets and the area under your stairs have the most potential space to transform in your home. Depending upon your needs, you may need extra open or closed storage for pantry items, winter clothes, or holiday decorations. Creating shelves or closed cupboards and drawers, would be a great way to create extra storage for these items in either an extra closet or under your stairs.
If you are short on space or have smaller rooms in your home, a desk area for work or school is another great way to use the space under your stairs. You can create an area with a desk and shelves or take it a step further with custom built in furniture and cabinetry. If you don’t need a desk area, a popular idea is to create built in book shelves under your stairs or even a reading nook.
If you have a young family, why not create a unique kid zone in this space. Kids love the idea of a space to call their own, while having some of their toys and books in a separate area tucked away, is a win-win for parents.
In our home, we were wanting a small wet bar that didn’t stand out and take up space. We felt the area under the stairs was a perfect size for what we wanted. We could have made the area even larger, but chose to create a storage closest at the end of the space. Since we built new, we had the plumber run lines to that area so we would be ready to install the sink when it was time.
To create this space, we measured out what we would need in cabinetry with our small bar fridge at the end. The space worked out perfect for standard cabinetry and then we just cut a countertop to length according to the angle of the stairs, which took a few cuts and careful maneuvering to get in. We added floating shelves above to add extra storage and a light to keep the space bright while in use. Having our electrician add the light and extra plugs really helped finish the space. We can now make use of small appliances like blenders, microwave or popcorn maker on the counter.
Adding a plug in or two, by a professional, in this type of space can be very useful. You can use it for a tv in your kids zone, or computers and chargers in your desk or reading nook space. Creating a space that is personalized to you is very rewarding. It doesn’t have to cost a lot and can be transformed in a short period of time. Is there a space in your home that has the potential to be transformed?