Tag Archives | Stairs

The Space Under The Stairs: Ideas and Designs

When it comes to doing up that space under the stairs, some ideas are better suited than others depending on where the staircase is located in your home. Is it in the basement, on the ground floor – is it next to the living room (a dry bar could work) or in the foyer area (better suited for storage and closet ideas?).

Daybed or Reading Area: How about turning this little space into a cozy nook for a daybed or reading area as seen in pictures (1) & (2). Line the walls with shelves or fit a bench with storage under it. If you want to go a step further, and there is an exterior wall, then look to install a window.

A Cozy Getaway: Reading Nook Ideas

Home Office: A common idea for this space is to use it as a home office (3) (4). Fitting a desk can be done easily. The only other thing it needs is some storage options and a desk lamp. Hang up a curtain if you want to close it off when it is not in use.

Bed: If the space you’re looking to makeover is in the basement, one idea is to turn it into a bedroom. Check out picture (5) of the double bed fitted under the basement stairs (14 Different Room Ideas For a Basement).

Playroom: This is a pretty cute idea, turning that tiny space into a nice little private playroom (6).

Kitchen/Dry Bar: If the stairs are close to the living room or kitchen why not convert it into a dry or wet bar (7). It could also be used as a make shift wine cellar with wine racks and a wine refrigerator.

TV Room: If the staircase faces a living area, then built in cabinets can house an entertainment area (8).

Storage: You can either have an open storage area with cubbies, floating shelves or hooks to hang jackets and keys (9) or a closed off storage area using draws (10) and closet doors (or turn it into a walk in closet).

Bathroom: Yup, you can have a bathroom under the stairs – this tiny space can be turned into a toilet if needed. It will be cramped. But the best way to do it is to have the sink by the door in the tallest end of the space, and the toilet at the other end where it slopes. A better layout, if the space is wide enough, is to have the sink and toilet side by side at the tallest end (11).

Some other ideas on what to do with this space under the stairs include turning it into a walkway (12) or how about converting it into a dor or cat house (13). 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13

The Small Basement: Ideas and Tips On Making It A Dream Space

February 12, 2013 in Misc, Storage

Ideas For a Basement Staircase: Designs, Railings, Storage, and More

Who knew there would be so many options when it comes to basement stair ideas and designs? You have everything from the steps, to the railings, and where to put the door or to have one at all (and what about the nook under the stairs?).

The Finished Product: The finished stairs themselves can be carpeted, wooden (1), or painted (2). How about going uber fancy with some floating stairs (3)?

The Steps: When it comes to the steps they can be solid blocks or have a lip on them as seen in picture (4).

Staircase Design: Some options when it comes to the overall design and layout of the staircase include having it broken up into multiple levels (seen in picture (5)), or have the steps widen at the bottom to create a more dramatic entrance (6).

Railing Options: The type of railing you put in will be based on the style you want your home/basement to be. For a modern and sleek look how about glass paneling (7) or brushed steel rails. For a more traditional look wrought iron railing would be best (8) or wooden stair railing (9) (Rustic Décor Ideas For a Basement). Then there is the option of not having any railing and enclosing the staircase seen in picture (10).

The Door: One thing to do to create a more inviting basement space would be to have the door at the bottom of the steps (11). Or go without a basement door at all.

The Nook Under The Stairs: If you are planning a remodeling of the basement and are putting in a new staircase, plan out what you’ll be doing with the space under the stairs. This can be turned into a great nook for a home office (Ideas For Turning a Basement Space Into A Home Office), a playroom (Fun Basement Playroom Ideas: From Softening the Floor to Swings) or a storage area (12).

The Side Wall: The wall going down alongside the stairway can be designed for a number of things. It can simply be used to hang up décor (13). Hooks can be fitted to it to store extra jackets, or how about hanging extra shelves if the staircase is wide enough (14) – for more storage ideas have a look at our post here (In The Basement: Storage and Organization Ideas). Or it can just be lined with stone or painted over (Decorating Basement Walls: Ideas from Stamped Concrete to Chalkboard Paint).

Safety: Lighting also needs to be taken into consideration around the staircase, for ideas check out our post here (Design Guide: Basement Lighting Ideas and Options). 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14

February 7, 2013 in Basement, Construction

Deck Railing Ideas and Styles Mood Board

When it comes to styles, the more traditional deck railing ideas include wooden railings as seen in pictures (7) and (8). For a more modern look, build a railing with metal and simple rails like in pictures (1) (2) (3) and (6). For a luxurious design – glass panels are the way to go (4).

Design Safety Note: Decks raised up a certain height above the ground will require railing, and railing of a certain height. Rules and regulations in certain areas will also require rails that have a limited gap between them (so kids can’t climb through – Deck Safety Tips: From Gates to Lighting). 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

February 4, 2013 in Outdoors

Home Deck Lighting Ideas Mood Board

(1) The railing is an area where it is simple to install lights. String lights can be wrapped around them, or rope lights can be attached under the railing. (2) You can find lights that can be attached to the posts, or ones that can be installed into the posts (recessed lights). These can come as either solar or low voltage powered lights. Some of the simplest deck lighting ideas revolve around solar powered fixtures. One of the easiest types of deck lights to fit are solar caps – find the right size and pop them on top of the post (the one in picture (3) above is from Moonlight Decks).

From candle light, oil burners, and table top tiki torches, to solar umbrella lights, and battery powered lanterns – there are a ton of cheap tabletop lighting ideas and options (picture (4) is a solar SunJar ). (5) To create a whimsical outdoor setting, hang string lights over the deck (hang them from the walls, trees, or erect a pole). These can be arranged in columns or hang them up to a point to create a canopy of lighting. At night these lights will create a starry sky effect. (6) Wall lights attached to the house are another way of providing lighting for a deck. (7) A fire pit will bring a romantic glow and heating. (8) Tiki torches can be planted around the deck in the soil or you can plant the torches in buckets of sand which can be placed on the deck. If you use citronella oil as fuel you’ll have an organic insect repellent. 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8