Making your own staircase cupboard
Want to make your own staircase cupboard? Close the open space under your stairs and turn it into a cupboard. Or rearrange your existing staircase cupboard more efficiently with a new cabinet layout. Another form of a staircase cupboard is a stand-alone cupboard that you can also use as a staircase. Whatever your plan, in this article we will explain how to make your own staircase cupboard and share inspiring DIY projects with you for this job!
In this article:
- How do you build your own stair cupboard?
- What materials do you need to make a custom stair cupboard?
- How to make a drawing or sketch for a stair cupboard
- What types of stair cupboards are there?
- What type of wood should you use for a stair cupboard?
- How do you connect the sheet materials of a stair cupboard?
- Examples of stair cupboards made by our handymen
- Get started with your own customised stair cupboard
How do you make your own stair cupboard?
The space under the stairs is ideal for creating a cupboard. In many homes, we see a stair cupboard used to store household items, food and, for example, the vacuum cleaner. However, a stair cupboard can also be a freestanding staircase with a cupboard inside.
In this article, we explain how to build your own stair cupboard and share inspiration from our DIY enthusiasts. They have already completed similar DIY projects.
You can order wood for your stair cupboard cut to size at TOSIZE.lu. In our webshop, you will find a wide range of wood material for every job. Think of MDF, plywood, triplex, OSB, concrete plywood and much more. The big advantage of wood from TOSIZE.lu is that we deliver it to your home, cut to the millimetre. This allows you to concentrate fully on assembling the wood for your stair cupboard.
What materials do you need to make a custom stair cupboard?
- Graph paper, pencil, eraser, ruler: for an accurate sketch of the stair cupboard
- Cordless drill: for easily pre-drilling holes and turning screws into your material
- Wood glue and possibly dowels or lamellos: may be necessary to firmly glue various parts of your stair cupboard together.
- Primer and varnish: virtually all types of wood from TOSIZE.lu still need to be finished – first primed, then varnished.
- Sandpaper: always handy to have around, with coarse or fine grain
- Tape measure: you need this to measure the dimensions and mark your wood.
- Spirit level: to ensure the shelves in the stair cupboard are perfectly level
- Screws: to join the various wood materials together
Don't have everything you need yet? Take a look at the accessories that you can order along with your project.
How to make a drawing or sketch for a stair cupboard
Do you already have an idea of what you want your stair cupboard to look like? And do you have a rough idea of how you want to design it? For a cupboard under the stairs, you could consider a design with shelves and a door, for example, but you could also consider a mobile cabinet.
Is your stair cupboard also intended to be used as a staircase? If so, take into account the load-bearing capacity of the structure. We will discuss this in more detail later in this article.
By first making a sketch, you will gain more insight into these matters and be able to think carefully about your DIY project. You will eventually turn the sketch into a drawing, with the dimensions of all materials accurate to the millimetre.
You will need these exact measurements to order the wood in exactly the right size from TOSIZE.lu. Also, give each plank a unique identifier, which will save you a lot of puzzling once the wood is delivered to your home.
You can simply draw on paper with a pencil, a ruler and an eraser. However, you can also use a 3D programme such as SketchUp or FreeCAD.
What types of stair cupboards are there?
In our DIY projects, we see two types of stair cupboards: the storage cupboard under the stairs and the freestanding stair cupboard with storage compartments. The first variant is built under an existing staircase. The second variant is a staircase in its own right. Which one will you build?
Pantry under the stairs
In many homes, the space under the stairs is unused. You can turn it into a handy storage cupboard, which will give you lots of extra storage space. The obvious solution is to install a few shelves in your stair cupboard. You can read about the best way to do this in our article on making shelves.
Making a door for a stair cupboard
Would you like to close off your stair cupboard with a door so you don't have to look at the stuff inside? The first step in making a door is to accurately measure the opening of the stair cupboard. Leave a little leeway (e.g. 2 mm on all sides) so that the door can close properly. To be on the safe side, have someone else check your measurements to ensure you don't make any costly mistakes.
With the exact measurements, you can have us cut a door to size. We can cut wood in many shapes, including triangles, for example. Ideal for small openings under the stairs.
Make sure you finish the inside of the stair cupboard neatly with battens that the door can close against. You can then attach the door to the stair cupboard with hinges. Fit a handle and finish the door neatly.
Freestanding stair cupboard with storage compartments
You can also build a staircase that doubles as a cupboard. For example, to access an attic or a loft bed. In that case, you need to take into account the load-bearing capacity and anchoring of the stair cupboard.
The load capacity of a freestanding stair cupboard
If you need to be able to walk on the stair cupboard, you want to be sure that your stairs have sufficient load-bearing capacity. You can find various calculation tools online that you can use to calculate the load-bearing capacity of your structure.
Sometimes common sense is enough, but it is best to make that assessment yourself. In any case, make sure that you connect the different parts of the staircase securely to each other using screws, dowels and string. Be sure to use a type of wood with sufficient structural strength, such as plywood or underlayment.
Anchoring a freestanding stair cupboard
An important part of a freestanding stair cupboard is how it is anchored to the wall. Ensure that the stairs cannot tip over and secure them to the wall using sturdy wedge bolts, for example. You can do this in several places.
What type of wood should you use for a stair cupboard?
What type of wood should you use for a stair cupboard? At TOSIZE.lu you will find an extensive Assortment of different types of wood, such as concrete plywood, MDF, plywood, OSB and furniture and carpentry panels.
The following materials are often found in our handymen's stair cupboards:
MDF
MDF is very versatile and easy to work with. MDF boards belong to the fibreboard family: the board consists of wood fibres that have been compressed under high pressure. MDF can be finished beautifully for a sleek end result.
Plywood
Plywood is suitable for decorative as well as structural purposes. This material is therefore ideal for use in a stair cupboard. Plywood sheets consist of several layers of wood veneer. These layers are glued together crosswise, making the sheet very strong. This gives the ends of this material an attractive appearance, allowing them to be left exposed.
How to connect the sheet materials in a stair cupboard
There are various techniques you can use to connect the wood in your stair cupboard properly. Here we discuss four common methods.
Screws
Materials can simply be screwed together. Remember to pre-drill the wood first and finish the screw holes neatly with filler.
Corner joints
By using corner joints, you can quickly screw different parts together. It is a practical solution that is less attractive. And therefore particularly recommended if the construction is out of sight, such as in a closed stair cupboard.
Dowel pins
The use of dowels is particularly recommended when your stair cupboard needs to be structurally strong. Dowels allow you to create invisible joints that are extremely strong. First, mark out the drill holes and drill holes in the wood using a dowel drill set. Then use a little wood glue to connect the dowels and the boards.
Lamellos
Lamellos are larger than dowels and provide an even stronger connection. You will need a milling machine to mill the slots for the dowels into the wood.
Please view our finishing options for more information.
Examples of stair cupboards made by our handymen
Our handymen already have some experience in making stair cupboards. They shared their projects with us, and you can use them as inspiration.
Small stair cupboard with door drawers
DIY enthusiast Linda made this beautiful stair cupboard with door drawers from birch plywood. Her approach was practical and clever. First, she ordered the floorboards to size and fitted wheels underneath them. Using this as a basis, she measured the dimensions of the other wood materials she needed using cardboard. Clever! And the result is very nice!
Plywood pantry
Jimme created this pantry under the stairs. He created many different compartments of varying heights and even a bottle rack. The space is used perfectly this way!
Pantry by novice DIYer
DIY enthusiast Martin struggled with this DIY project for years. But he finally managed to build a beautiful stair cupboard. He used an MDF back panel with slats on top, on which the shelves (mitre-cut by us) are placed. There is even a hatch for camping gear!
DIY stair cupboard with storage compartments
This stunning staircase was built by handyman Rutger to access the loft. The storage compartments in the cupboard are of different sizes, but all fit a standard IKEA drawer or basket.
Thanks to the use of dowels and screws, the cabinet is strong enough to stand on. The whole thing is neatly varnished and looks sleek!
Stair cupboard made of birch plywood
This attractive stair cupboard, equipped with a drawer and door, is the work of handyman Menno. Be sure to read about his DIY project to gain insight into how he approached this impressive task.
Staircase with cupboard compartments for loft bed
This staircase is a feast for the eyes. Handyman Wouter's children can easily climb into their loft bed, and it has created a lot of storage space. Wouter used birch plywood and assembled it with dowels and screws. In his working drawing (shown in the project), he took force transfer into account.
The stair cupboard is anchored at the top for safety.
Small door for stair cupboard
Do you have a small corner under your stairs? Then do what handyman Patrick did and make a little door for it. Of course, with a beautifully cut-to-size MDF triangle from TOSIZE.lu!
Get started with your own customised stair cupboard
In this article, we explained how to build a custom stair cupboard. We also shared inspiration from our DIY enthusiasts with you. Hopefully, you can now get started on designing, drawing and assembling your own stair cupboard.
You can order the wood for this job, cut to the nearest millimetre, from TOSIZE.lu. Will you opt for MDF, plywood or perhaps the sturdy OSB?
Have fun making your custom stair cupboard!
