Making The Most Of Wasted Space Under The Stairs

Louise approached Sharps to make the most of the space under her stairs and wanted a design that matched the rest of the doors around the house

When Louise Stock and her family first laid eyes on the smart detached house in Norfolk that they now call home, they fell in love with the place. So much so, that they put aside a requirement for a dedicated room to house all the toys of the younger members of the clan, and moved in as soon as possible!

They called in Sharps to help transform the awkward, wasted space under the stairs, into the perfect place to store all of the stuff no one knows where to put!

Over a year on, Louise recalls, "on walking into the house we entered a beautiful, big, spacious hallway – and immediately felt we could compromise on having a playroom, as there was plenty of space here for the kid’s stuff."

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However, as the weeks and months went on, Louise became frustrated at the clutter, "we used to just pile up shoes, handbags and toys in the corner underneath the stairs." Then, one evening, inspiration struck – Louise and her husband realised that they could utilise that now-not-so-empty space under the stairs by having bespoke doors fitted. A case of out-of-sight, out-of-mind! The Stocks had heard of Sharps before and seen the TV adverts, so arranged a free home design visit to see about having bespoke fitted wardrobes installed under their stairs.

We got a few quotes from local carpenters, but, to be honest, we weren’t happy with the designs that they came up with.

Louise Stock

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The couple knew they wanted white doors in a style that would match their existing internal doors. “We have three doors and a double cupboard coming off the hallway,” explained Louise. “Our designer recommended the Sherbourne range, which matches perfectly. Plus we love the fact that the pattern on the doors matches the angle of the staircase.”

Louise admits that she was initially quite worried about the wardrobes taking away the spacious feel in the hallway, but says they blend in perfectly and “look as if they’ve always been there and are part of the original house!”

When it came to clever internal storage options, they decided to just have shelving installed in all of the wardrobes, so that they had flexibility on what they stored inside them. “The shelves are extra deep and we can fit so much in,” says Louise. “80% of it is toys, along with some craft stuff and the printer and Wi-Fi hub. It’s the perfect place to store all of the stuff that no one knows where to put!”