Understairs storage! There are plenty of designs for this storage idea, but most of them seem to require a great amount of work. This one, however, is simple and practical both in the building process and actual use!
If you’ve got unused space under your stairs, and you want to make good-looking storage with it, this project is for you no matter what your building experience is. :)
This stairs pull-out storage makes it easier for you to find stuff that you need. You don’t have to crawl all the way inside just to find what you’re looking for. You simply pull the entire storage unit out and voila, you’ll see each and every item you have in that storage.
Now as we’ve said everything about this DIY project is simple, including the mechanism used. No complicated drawer slides installation involved, just caster wheels and a timber slat for a rail system!
There’s also no need for drawings for this project. (Though of course you can also do this step if it would make you feel more comfortable.) You can also “build as you go” and this tutorial will show you just how to do it.
So without further ado, gather all the tools and materials you will need and start building!
BTW, the materials indicated below were chosen to make the project as inexpensive as possible. If you want an even finer finish, you can use any material of your choice.
Check our gallery for a closer look so you can plan what to use your under-stairs pull-out storage!
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Materials:
- Chipboard (for floor panel, front panel, back panel and 1 side panel
- 1×2 Pallets (for support)
- Nails and Screws
- 4 Caster Wheels
Tools:
- Measuring Tape
- Marker
- Saw
- Combination Ruler
- Drill
Steps:
Measure and cut: First you need to measure the inside floor area, the height and width. It wouldn’t always be proper and square. If your width differs, go with the width that is smaller as only then can you push the floor panel in. Luckily for me my front width was just 2″ smaller than the back – so not much of a difference. The length was the same throughout.
Basically you need the floor area and side panel measurements.
Side panel= height- 2″ (it’s easier to cut this at once as you need to keep space at bottom and top to avoid friction).
Take into account the thickness of the wood for the drawer slider and also the side panel thickness. My whole width was 33″, so my drawer width was about 32″. This was determined by trial and error as shown in the next step.
Main frame: Measure and screw in castor wheels.
Place a spacer under the side panel and screw it in at a right angle in a T- joint to the floor panel.
You would need help here to hold the panel while you screw it in.
Now push this under the stairs. It is fine if the panels are flush to the wall or less in front. Sides – it’s best if its less or else it would have lots of friction, thereby damaging the panel. Make sure there is at least 1″ gap.
The panels should never jut out. If it juts out, measure and cut the excess.
Support for panels: Place your 1×2 across the panels. Make sure it’s below the stairs and not touching it. Mark angles to cut.
Tape another identical pallet to it and cut. This is for the back support.
Screw cross support to both front and back.
Now place another slat from the floor panel to the bottom of cross bar. Again mark angle cuts, tape another slat and cut. Screw this in too, from the sides and bottom.
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