crochet patterns

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Are there skeletons in your closet? How about under your stairway? If it has been a while since you have ventured a look under there maybe it's time you thought about what you could do with that space.

For many people the space under the steps is a place to throw extra sports equipment, toss out of season clothing, junk, or worse - it is just dead space not being used for anything!

With a little creativity and a bit of work you can turn that small space into a big surprise.

How about a phone booth? If your space is on your first or second level of your home and you have a hard time finding a quiet place to talk on the phone this might be the answer to your problem. If you don't already have a doorway leading under the stairs, make one. If you do, then utilize it. If light is a problem, install lighting (either wired in or battery) and either bring in a chair or build in a cozy padded bench. If you don't have a door you can either make one by hanging a curtain or putting in a pocket door or cutting a bifold door on a track to size. Be creative! If you can't run a phone jack into this space that's ok - just put one of your cordless phones in here!

Need more closet space? The understairway space in my house happens to be in my daughter's room. Until recently it was a catch-all for toys and other junk. I recently removed all the junk, placed old shelves on their sides along one wall that she could place her shoes on top of and inside of and above that hung a vented wire shelf. I hung her dresses and longer clothes on hangers from the front of the shelf and placed her folded jeans and extra blankets on the top of the shelf. Then I put small hooks down the wall on which to hang purses and belts. I then hung a cord from the light on the wall so she can reach it. This doubled the closet space in her room.

You could also turn this space into a coat/umbrella/shoe closet if the understairway space is centrally located in the house. The key is to keep the space organized with shelving, bins and hanging rods.

Kid's Playroom: Before I turned this space in my daughter's room into closet space and before it became a catch-all, I used the understairway space in her room for a hideaway playroom for her. I placed her 3-ft X 4-ft doll house along one wall and all her Barbie dolls and accessories in plastic stackable drawer units under the steps. Kids love to get back in little spaces they think no one else can access and will play there for hours. Also, you can line the interior of this space with whiteboard paneling that the little ones can draw on with dry-erase markers!

Computer and Electronics Charging Station: This is a good place to have a charging station for all your electronic gadgets such as IPods, telephones, and to keep the handheld games and such. Just build in the shelves you need with labeled bins for each item and the pigeonholes for each cord to come up through and adequate wiring and receptacles. You may need to hire an electrician for this - you will need to check your local building codes. This is also a great place to keep the family calendar and a white board to keep everyone organized. This especially works if the understairway space is centrally located in the house, such as in the kitchen or dining or foyer area. The space will need to be well lit.

Home Office Space: This will work if you only need a small space the width of the stairway - install a countertop the width of the stairway that your office chair can slide beneath when you are not using it. Make sure you have adequate lighting. You can install cork to the back of the steps for use as a bulletin board. You can maximize the space by hanging staggered hanging baskets on the walls on each side.

Hopefully these ideas will help you maximize your home's space by utilizing this often-overlooked area under the stairway - every square foot counts!

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