Remodeling Your Home to Include Multi Levels, Hidden Storage and Nooks

Single story homes often feel boring and plain. Why stick with a traditional single-story floor plan when today’s technological advances in building techniques offer so many more possibilities? Today we’re going to discuss some pretty amazing things you can do with a single story home as well as several ideas for multi-story homes and staircases.

Higher Ceilings Without Raising the Roof

Most single-story single family homes have a crawl space underneath. This allows the opportunity to sink certain areas to create the illusion of having higher ceilings and split-level rooms. For example, if your dining room and family room are adjoining and you’d like to create a definite separation between the two, lower the family room a couple of feet and add steps from one room to the other.

Transform a Two-Story Foyer

The two-story foyer is quickly disappearing as people are looking for more ways to improve the energy efficiency of their home and make the most of the usable space. Heat rises, and you’ll often find that a home with large, open, two-story areas is much more difficult to evenly heat than homes that do not have these large pockets where heat can escape.

Build a children’s play room, a small library, or a pillow nook that fills the space currently occupied by the upper part of a two-story foyer. You’ll love the functionality and the additional space such a small addition provides.

Ideas for Staircases

Staircases traditionally take up a lot of space that could be used for other things. The space under the stairs (like Harry Potter’s bedroom) may be put to use for a variety of purposes. Bookshelves, closet space, or a small half bath are some of the most popular uses. Consider some of these unique ideas for the space under the stairs:

Pet Housing: Many people consider their pets part of the family. Family members have their own room, right? Why doesn’t the dog or cat? Crates are great for the purpose they serve, but who wants a clunky, unattractive dog crate in the way? Creating a special place for your pet under the stairs offers them their own refuge from guests or just a place to get away when they want to relax. 

Book Nook: Create your own little personal library under the stairs with a nice seating area for one. Perfect for when you want to get away from the rest of the household and be alone for a while.

Nap Corner: Small children don’t like nap time, and sending them to their room often results in play time due to the number of toys available in their room. Nap time on the sofa doesn’t always work because of the television or other distractions. The area under the staircase is the perfect size to create a little naptime nook for small children.

Wine Rack: Wine should be stored in a cool, dark place. Like under the stairs. The space below the stairs offers the perfect spot to create a wine rack. You can cover it with nice glass doors to ensure freshness of the wine.

Many of these ideas may be implemented at a relatively low cost. Before you decide to tackle one of these as a DIY project, discuss your options and any potential dangers with a contractor. You don’t want to remove all of the supports from under the stairs before reinforcing it in other ways.