Cabinet under the stairs, design features, how to fit into the interior

Many owners of suburban cottages, multi-level townhouses, private houses and summer cottages are faced with the problem of arranging the under-stairs space in the premises. It is a pity to lose part of the usable area if the room has a marching or screw structure with platforms and steps. To correctly use the free space, you can install a cabinet under the built-in staircase, made according to an individual project and drawing. Any design and design ideas are available for implementation, so the owner doubles the gain - receives functional furniture and effectively uses the stairwell.

Features and purpose

Currently, built-in wardrobes mounted under flights of stairs in a two-story cottage, a multi-level room, and the architecture of a country house are no longer considered an exotic design option and belong to items of common furniture. Built-in structures organically complement the interior, effectively combining with a staircase and room decor. The purpose of the furniture is the competent use of the free undergrowth. At the same time, the cabinet located under the stairs is a functional design for the ergonomic use of furniture in everyday life. Features and advantages of original furniture:

rational use of free space for compact installation of furniture for various purposes - a library, a mini-dressing room, a module for storing things, an entrance hall, a workplace;
lack of unused and uncomfortable zones - a cabinet made strictly according to the dimensions of the under-stairwell is ergonomic and functional;
installation of a built-in type construction - to install a stationary model under the stairs is irrational, since the walls, roof, floor will select useful centimeters of area;
implementation of non-standard design solutions, the ability to mount a cabinet model of any design in an empty area under the stairs - a sliding compartment, a swinging cabinet, a cabinet, a cabinet;
an aesthetically attractive addition to the interior of the room, the visual effect of a holistic tandem of the cabinet and stairs (marching, screw, on rails or braces);
universality of products in the living space - it’s important to install cabinets under the stairs in a private house, cottage, town house, in the country.

Furniture enterprises are engaged in the manufacture of cabinets according to individual customer projects after measuring free space for the installation of the product. As an option, a simple closet in the under-stairwell area can be made independently - it is easy to equip a rack with open shelves yourself. In the built-in models, the load-bearing elements are the walls of the room, the roof is the stairs, the floor of the room serves as the bottom of the cabinet, but you can install a separate slab of modern wood-based materials.

Kinds

In a private house, a cottage, in the country house, two types of stairs are installed - marching with straight flights of steps, intermediate platforms and spiral, the design of which is made in a spiral around the supporting axis. It’s problematic to integrate the wardrobe into the space of a spiral staircase - it’s easier to limit yourself to creating a small sitting corner with a compact table, to install a chest of drawers or a cabinet. Spiral constructions are equipped with the main support, on which degrees are hung, a staircase to the attic or floor looks attractive as an independent element of the interior, takes up little space, so the cabinets are built under the marching steps. The main types of cabinets:

compartment model - ideally combined with all interior styles, selects a minimum of free space. It is attractive that the doors can be decorated with various options for facades, use photo printing, sandblasting, and mirror panels for decoration. The internal filling of the cabinet depends on the dimensions of the under-stairwell. It is convenient to install a compartment with a sliding door system under the stairs of small and medium rotation of steps;
built-in wardrobe with swing doors - the best solution for spacious rooms. When developing a project, you need to consider the free space for opening doors. You can use this option to equip the hallway, equipping the furniture with a mirror, devices for storing outer clothing, baskets for shoes, drawers for small items, accessories, key holders, stands for umbrellas, hats. If there is a small usable area, a pantry will be equipped here;
drawer according to the principle of a spacious chest of drawers - you can mount furniture sections in horizontal and vertical versions, as in the photo below. Structural elements (boxes with a sloping top) move on roller wheels, so they do not leave mechanical damage on the floor. In capacious retractable modules it is convenient to store overall objects, things, sports equipment (skates, skis, golf sets) or household appliances for cleaning the premises;
shelving with open shelves - often used to equip the library in the stairwell. Shelves of various sizes are built into a free niche, fixing parts on the rear and side walls. Open shelves organically look in the home living room - with their help you can equip a cozy corner with memorabilia, souvenirs, family photos, books. It should be noted that dust settles faster on open shelves; therefore, it is often necessary to clean up the rack;
The combined version of furniture is an interesting design solution, which combines open sections with closed modules. Outside the doors in the high part of the closet it is convenient to store outer casual clothes, and the open shelves are suitable for placing original interior items - vases, figurines, fresh flowers and other things. If the internal space allows, a television is built into a niche, audio and video equipment are placed on shelves, as in the photo presented.

The under-staircase can be equipped with a cabinet for any purpose, equip the area under the steps of the bar, shelves for storing a collection of wines. The main condition is the material of furniture, decorative fittings, cabinet finishing should be combined with the stairs in style and color, so that a complete design is obtained that complements the interior of the room.

Coupe

Rack

Swing

Retractable

Facade decoration

What gives the cabinet a design twist? The original design of the facades, for the manufacture of which you can use a variety of materials. The case for the built-in cabinet does not need to be done, but as an option, the staircase to the attic can be supplemented with a case model. The main materials used in the furniture industry are MDF and chipboard, less commonly natural wood. You can implement and design facades in several ways:

mirror panels - visually expand the space of the room, look appropriate in the hallway, dressing room. Behind mirrored doors you can hide hangers under outerwear, shoe racks, shelves for hats, accessories;
facades with photo printing - using professional equipment, a drawing is applied to the base using laser engraving technology, ultraviolet printing. The photographic quality of the finish gives the images a realistic look;
sandblasting on tinted glass. Very interesting design ideas are matte images that give the space by the stairs a luxurious and sophisticated look. Sandblasting drawings are not erased, do not require complicated maintenance;
glossy plastic facades - this design visually increases the room space, looks spectacular in contrast to the floor and carpet. Plastic is affordable, facades are presented in a wide color palette;
rattan or bamboo doors. The decoration is relevant for interiors in ethnic and oriental style. The material is lightweight, it looks simple, natural. Rattan and bamboo can be included in the minimalist style of the interior.

In addition, decorative facades are used for the decoration of facades - it goes well with natural wood furniture. If the staircase to the attic is made in a simple style with minimal decor, you can equip a modest pantry, and use vertical shutters as facade panels. Such a cabinet looks inconspicuous under the stairs, does not focus on a niche under it.

The cabinet rack is equipped with open shelves, so all things and objects will be in sight. If it is necessary to close part of the sections, it is preferable to install combination furniture.

Popular design ideas for furniture designs are an open section and shelves with curves, a middle compartment, a compartment with a hinged door or a drawer with a decorative panel. You can choose any cabinet design under the stairs, but the facade should be in harmony with the design of the steps, the rest of the furniture, the style of the room.

Glossy

Mirror

Photo printing

How to fit into the interior

The staircase to the attic or the second floor, depending on the size of the room, can be located along one of the walls, begin in the central part of the room, have turns, curves. The easiest way to install a cabinet under the stairs along the wall is to install a lightweight structure that complements the flights of stairs. The main advantage of using the stairwell is that interior elements can be made invisible or, on the contrary, focus on the interesting idea of decorating a room. Depending on which room and building you need to equip the space under the stairs, you can choose several ways how to enter the cabinet harmoniously:

if the staircase to the attic, the second, third floors is located in the area of the entrance doors, it is worth installing a hallway or dressing area with storage systems under the stairs. The room does not have to be additionally equipped with furniture with hangers for outerwear, shoe shelves, hooks for umbrellas, bags;
when the stairs are located on the upper floors in the living room, the stairwell space is conveniently used to equip an open shelving library with bookshelves, a wine cellar, a “souvenir” shop, a recreation area with a TV. Option - combined cabinet with several enclosed sections;
in narrow under-stairwells, it is appropriate to install deep and tall drawers under the stairs, equipped with Cargo extension mechanisms, as an inconspicuous pantry for storing large-sized things and items that are needed every day - children's toys, sports equipment, ironing board;
in modern duplex apartments, a staircase is a must. The first tier is traditionally used as a living room, kitchen, dining area, the second level - for sleeping and working space. Under the stairs, you can effectively fit into the interior a cupboard or furniture with a bar counter;
at the cottage, the area of the rooms is limited, the staircase to the attic (attic) or the second floor is small, has a simple design, and the interior is dominated by country, retro, Provence, classic, less often loft, modern, minimalism. It is important to use the free space under the stairs for a cabinet with an antique surroundings.

Furniture design depends on both the interior style and the house as a whole. For example, in a country villa, the staircase serves as a decoration of the building, it is better to enter a chic cabinet, a rich library, furniture with glass showcases and shelves for the collection of expensive wine under it. In small country houses, small-sized cottages of standard architecture, the space under the stairs is used to optimize the free space - more often they install inconspicuous wardrobes, simple open shelves, secret storage rooms, dressing rooms.

When choosing the color of the unified design, the stairs to the second floor are repelled by the design of the railing and steps. In some cases, deep horizontal drawers are installed, which serve as a natural constructive continuation of the running stages and do not stand out against the general background. You can correctly enter the wardrobe in any interior style, at the same time solving two problems - the use of an empty under-staircase, and spectacular decoration of the room.

The nuances of accommodation

An important advantage of equipping a room with a cupboard under the stairs is the optimal capacity of the furniture, since the depth of the model corresponds to the width of the stairs, and the height at the maximum point is at least 950 mm. Such sizes are quite suitable for organizing storage systems for overall things, clothes, shoes, household appliances or for the implementation of a decorative corner with an aquarium, souvenir shelves, a TV, a minibar, and a winery. In order to correctly design and place a cabinet under the stairs, you need to consider several nuances:

when using a sliding door opening system, sufficient space must be provided to move the panel along the lower or upper rails. In some designs, it is not possible to fully open the shutters, so unused zones will remain in the cabinet;
when mounting a built-in cabinet with hinged doors, the leaf width should not exceed 1000 mm. Under the weight of the heavy panel, there is a skew of the hinges and failure of the mechanisms for opening / closing the valves. Using a wide hinged door is inconvenient - it is better to install two small-sized leaves;
placing drawers under the stairs, it is necessary to ensure their full extension for access to the rear wall of the stairwell - this is especially important if communication systems pass under the stairs. Vertical boxes are equipped with Teflon-coated rollers - have a long service life;
when mounting an open cabinet, it is necessary to combine the shelves in height and width to place objects of various sizes on them. The installation of shelves is carried out in the wall and to the steps, so the base is made durable, finish is performed. The weight of shelves filled with things should moderate the stairs;
an alternative solution is the installation of a compact-sized staircase, suitable for arranging a small flight of stairs in height and length. The steps simultaneously serve as the roof of the furniture structure, for their manufacture they use durable material, for example, a shield, natural wood.

There are a lot of interesting ideas for equipping the under-stairwell. In addition to mounting the cabinet, under the steps you can design a separate room - a playroom for children, a study, a lounge for relaxing with a comfortable sofa.

Sometimes the stairwell is used to install washing machines inside the cabinet, but care should be taken to supply communications and to constantly ventilate the area under the stairs. A variety of design solutions makes it possible to rationally use the unused stairwell space and add bright accents to the interior.