Tips for Creating Extra Storage Under a Curved Staircase
Living in a small little home is not for sissies. You learn really quickly that every single square inch is “valuable real estate” and finding enough storage space is always a challenge. When we remodeled our round holiday home a few years ago we added a second story so we could double the size from 32m² to 64m². And “doubling up” meant building a curved staircase. Stairs can be pretty expensive and they take up a lot of space. Sadly, it didn’t take long before the void under the stairs became a dumping ground for all our stuff.
It was driving me insane. We had to do something to hide all that crap stuff. Something that was pretty, practical, would last a long time and withstand whatever holidaymakers could throw at it. And with a budget of only R1000, about $70, we had to get creative. Fortunately, we’re “do it yourself” kinda people and managed to transform that space beneath our curved staircase from ugly and cluttered to this.
So much better right? We managed to do it all within our budget and we still had a whole chunk of cash left over for the storage bits inside. Happy dance. Oh by the way, did you know that the triangular space under the stairs is called a “spandrel”. Me neither 😀 I’m so going to use it the next time I want to start a conversation……… Something along the lines of “Do you know what we did with our spandrel” 😉 Mmmmm, I wonder if it’s called a spandrel if it’s under one of those spiral stairs?
How To Enclose a Curved Staircase aka Spandrel
Because our holiday home has round walls we weren’t 100% sure that we’d be able to enclose the space under the curved stairs using drywall. Drywalls aren’t really a thing here in South Africa and we have no experience whatsoever with putting them up. We do know how to lay bricks though and building a curved brick wall is pretty easy, as long as you follow the line and use a spirit level.
Sorry, I don’t have any photos of the building part except for this really bad one after it had been plastered. Since the wall in non-load bearing, we only used a single layer of bricks, which kept the costs down and gave us a few extra inches of space. We didn’t enclose the entire area under the stairs since I still wanted an open area for our fridge.
We made a rustic wooden door from reclaimed wood to fit snuggly under the stairs. The door was hung with old gate hinges and once it had been painted and distressed it matched our décor style perfectly.
Well, almost perfectly 😉 We just need to add some pretty hardware to complete the look.
Adding Storage Under the Curved Staircase
Okay so now that it’s looking pretty darn awesome under those curved stairs, we could finally start organizing the inside and adding some much-needed storage. The enclosed area under the stairs is only 58cm wide (22”) and 1,5m long (59″) so we needed to find storage ideas that would be practical and make the most of the space underneath the stairs.
We debated building some storage crates but finally went for those plastic tubs or storage bins on wheels for the following reasons:
- Convenient and easy to use – The wheels make it super easy to move the contents
- Functional – Since the tubs are plastic you know the contents will be protected and dust-free
- Practical – They’re easy to stack so you can use every inch of your storage space
- Versatile – There are so many different sizes to choose from
So using our highly scientific method of organizing we drew up a plan of how to stack the tubs underneath the stairs ……….
………and went shopping. We tried really hard to find clear tubs, but had no luck and settled for these sturdy black ones instead. Since we won’t be able to see what’s inside we labeled each tub.
I’ll be replacing those handwritten labels with these next time we go down. You can download them for free here if you want to use them too.
We also stuck a “Find My Crap” Cheat Sheet on the wall to make it easier to figure out what’s in all of the tubs. You can download the cheat sheet here. We printed ours on cardstock and had it covered in clear DC Fix so we update the sheet with a non-permanent marker when things get moved around.
More Storage Ideas
Some things can’t be packed away neatly in a tub. Like our mops and brooms. To keep them neat and tidy the hubby drilled a few PVC pipes onto the one wall so we can just slot them inside.
We also hung a sweet little jewelry organizer on the wall for those small things like spare keys, torches, and whatnots.
And added a clear tub, the only one we could find, on a narrow metal shelf for those, not so pretty things that I use on a daily basis. Like my gardening stuff and mop shoes. Best invention ever. They’re like slippers that mop while you walk 😀
And finally, we screwed a narrow spice rack onto the back of the door.
Now there’s no more clutter under those curved stairs. It’s all neatly packed away and organized.
And when you shut the door all you see is a pretty gallery wall and a door with loads of character.
We learned a few things along the way and I wanted to share them with you in case you ever want to create extra storage underneath your curved stairs.
9 Tips for Creating Extra Storage Under a Curved Staircase
- Every square inch can be used to store something. The walls and door are good for hanging things while the floor is perfect for storing larger items. We even hung the fishing rods on the roof
- Clear storage tubs are the best since you can see what’s inside. If you can’t find any clear tubs, be sure to add labels and use a cheat sheet so you can find things quickly.
- Get the tubs with wheels. They may cost a little more but your back will thank you later
- Plastic tubs or crates are good for stacking and since they come in so many different sizes you can layer them to fit your space
- When trying to figure out what to pack where separate everything into three piles:
- Very important – things you use every week (large tubs in front)
- Semi-important – things you use maybe once a month (medium tubs in the middle)
- Not so important – things you only use for special occasions, like Christmas decor (small tubs at the back)
- Take each pile and separate them again into fragile and heavy. Put the heavy stuff at the bottom and the fragile stuff on top if you’re stacking your tubs
- In tight spaces use thin narrow shelves to maximize storage space and still leave enough room to move around
- Put some lights up so you can see where everything is. We just stuck battery operated lights along the wall. It was so much easier than messing with electricity.
- Keep a storage “cheat sheet” nearby to help you remember what you’re storing under the staircase. I would be lost without mine 😉
I’m so happy with how it turned out, and I hope you’ll agree that it’s so much better and much more practical than that clutter-filled, gaping hole under our curved stairs.
If you’re thinking of creating extra storage under your curved staircase, don’t forget to pin it for later.
Do you have any other storage ideas? I’m always looking for creative ways to use every inch of our small home. In fact, I have a whole Pinterest board with more than 1000 creative storage ideas and I would love to add more.
Oh and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more amazing ideas to share with you 😉
Until next time, I hope you have a beautiful, love-filled week. Thank you for coming to visit.
This is a brilliant use of all the space. I wish I had known to do this back in my old house. Ours was a bumping ground for anything that did not have a home.
It’s still a dumping ground, but at least it’s all hidden behind that pretty door 😀
Great tips. Now I wish I had a staircase to create all of that extra storage. I will need to use your ideas to get my mess straightened out.
Thanks so much Debra ? That space under the stairs is so useful
Great use of space! And the presentation is fabulous, love the rustic wooden door!
That wooden door is my favourite little door ?
Great tips for extra storage! Even though I have not a staircase in my home such kind of tips are so useful. Thank you 🙂
I’m glad you found the tips useful Christina, thanks so much
Um, this is freakin’ amazing. I feel like I’m always organizing and reorganizing our stuff, because I hate when things don’t have a place. So, I absolutely love this! And where have those mop shoes been all my life?! Must look into those…
? Get those mop shoes Amy, you’ll love them and so will the kids ?
Leave it to you to make storage look adorable! Great solution for small space.
Btw, you have Knorr too? Those Germans do get around, don’t they? LOL. Now I’m hungry, ha! Take care. xx
? Yeah Knorr is kinda my best friend when it comes to cooking ?
Wow, I just love what you did with that space – or should I say “spandrel” lol. I loved learning about that! What a great idea for tiding up that area. It turned out great!
Thanks so much Carolann, I’m real happy with how our spandrel turned out too ?
You have done an amazing job, Michelle! That space looks just awesome and it’s great that you were able to make this happen on a small budget. Mop shoes? Ha, that sounds like a genius invention.
? Those mop shoes are the best invention ever and they just looks so cool too. Like big floppy, fluffy slippers
It turned out really gr8. I really like that door. It has so much character. What paint did you use?
Thanks so much Carla, glad you like the door ? The cupboard has been done with layers of white and grey chalk paint and a clear wax was applied on top to seal
Thank you 😉
My pleasure Carla
I need to get me some of those mop shoes ? Love your new storage space and that door ???
LOL< those are my favorite shoes ?
I really like the way you’ve decorated that whole area. It’s so unusual. It must quite different staying in a round home. I don’t think I’d even know where to start ?
? I must admit we were a little stumped in the beginning too, but in a way I think it might be easier once you get over the fact that most of the walls are curved and square things don’t always fit the way you thought they would ?
Thank you for the great tips, Michelle!!!!!!!!!!! Hugs, my dear friend.
? and right back at you Mia
Ons bly ook in ‘n rondavel en dis verskriklik mooilik om idees en planne te kry vir ronde trappe. Weet jy dalk van ander plekke waar ‘n mens so iets so kan kry? Ek hou baie van hoe julle julle trappe gedoen het en so graag iets similar wou doen in ons huis.
Hi daar Leannie, ek weet presies wat jy bedoel. Ons het ooral gesoek vir rondavel planne en idees en het ‘n paar idees gekry op Private Property. As mense verkoop dan sal hulle baie keur fotos van die binne kant hul huisie daar plaas. Maar ja, dis moeilik.
Great tips!! Thank you!
THanks so much Holly, I’m glad you found them useful
Excellent storage solution. It’s not only practical but adorable and fun. Clutter is so stressful, I bet your whole home feels different. Love it, Michelle.
Our house feels so much bigger now that we’ve enclose that area and I’m real happy we managed to fit so much inside. Those tubs on wheels make it so easy ?
Great storage and de-clutter ideas that can work for any type of space, Michelle! I have space under my stairs (which is closed-in) for storage – I love what you did! I’ve tried hinting to hubby about opening the area but he either has closed his ears or is just ignoring me!
Awwww, we need to talk to that hubby of yours Gail. There’s so much space under the stairs that can be used
Oh that door!! Amazing how you could manage to get such a fantastic storage spot under the stairs, well done!! And even if one day it isn’t always well organized inside, it sure is great just to be able to shut the door and not have to look at it 😉
That’s the best thing about it. You can just shut the door and no-one will even know if you left a mess behind ?
Dang girl that’s a lot of stuff you guys had going under your stairs ? but it looks so much better now.
? OMW that stuff was embarrassing Nolene. I’m so glad we could find a better way to store it
Michelle it looks so great. I would not have believed that it was such a hot mess before. I love the pvc that you screwed on the wall for your mops and brooms. Mine are just thrown in the closet. Also you have lots of really great tips on how to keep it organized. I am always afraid to open my closet for fear something or everything will fall out.
LOL, I know that feeling Mary. We have one of those cupboards too. And yes those pvc pipe thingies are the best ever and they’re super simple to do too.
Psst don’t tell anyone, but that cupboard that’s ready to explode is my craft cupboard ?