The space under the stairs is the most wasted volume in most Irish houses. It is an awkward wedge shape, which is exactly why nothing you can buy fits it, and exactly why made to measure earns its keep. Done properly it swallows coats, shoes, the hoover and the recycling, and gives you back the hall.
What can actually go under the stairs?
Pull out drawers on runners, hanging space at the tall end, shoe storage, or a small cloakroom if there is drainage nearby.
The shape decides the answer. The tall end takes hanging coats or a full height cupboard. The middle takes drawers or pull outs. The low end, which most people write off entirely, takes shallow pull out shoe racks or flat storage on castors.
Pull outs matter more here than anywhere else in the house. A fixed cupboard under a stairs means crawling in to reach the back. A drawer on runners brings the back of the space out to you, which is the difference between storage you use and storage you fill once and forget.
Should it be open shelving or closed doors?
Closed, in almost every case. The point of the space is to hide what is in it.
A hall is the first thing anyone sees walking in, and open storage under the stairs puts coats, shoes and bags on display. Doors and drawer fronts finished to match the hall keep the line clean and let the stairs read as stairs.
Where people do go open is a single shelf or bench at the tall end, for keys and post, which works because it stays small.
Can you fit a downstairs toilet under the stairs?
Sometimes, and it depends entirely on head height and how far the drainage is.
The head height at the door position is the first check, and it rules out more houses than people expect. The second is the drain run. Both are things to establish before any design work, and both are questions for your plumber as much as for us.
Where a cloakroom does not fit, the same space usually takes a full height cupboard plus pull outs, which is often more useful day to day anyway.
How is it measured and fitted?
Measured on site, drawn in 3D, made off site to those exact dimensions and fitted by our own team.
Nothing about a staircase is square. The stringer runs at an angle, the floor may not be level, and the wall may lean. Everything is cut to the measurements taken on the day rather than to a standard size, and scribed in on fitting so there are no gaps along the rake.
Everything we make in wood carries a two year warranty against defects.
How it works
We call out, measure the space and talk through what you want. Our designers draw it in 3D so you see the finished piece in your own room, and you get one complete itemised quote within two working days. Nothing is ordered and nothing is charged until you say yes.
One team for this and the rest of the job
The same team that makes this fits it, and we also do kitchens, fitted wardrobes, internal doors and windows. If more than one thing needs doing, it is one contractor, one schedule and one point of contact rather than four. See the rest of our fitted furniture.
Frequently asked questions
Will it work if my stairs are open at the side?
Usually yes, though it changes the design. An open side often means building a partition first, which we would cover at the design visit.
Can you match it to my existing hall doors?
Yes. Finishes are chosen at design stage and can be matched to existing joinery, or deliberately contrasted.
How long does the fit take?
Under stairs storage is normally fitted in a day or so once it has been made. The exact sequence comes with your quote in writing.
What areas do you cover?
Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. The design visit is free and there is no obligation.