If your home has indoor stairs, what do you have underneath them? Is there a tiny door that opens to reveal an even tinier (and usually useless) space? Or is it just a flat wall with pictures, a mirror, or other decorations hanging on it? If you answered yes to either, we’re here to unveil a wealth of untapped storage space underneath your stairs. Typically, indoor stairs that aren’t concrete are completely hollow underneath, which is why some homes have those tiny doors and spaces — a token effort to provide storage space. But the truth is that you can do much better than a waist-high door leading nowhere. So, if your home has indoor stairs with an awkward space underneath, here are some creative ideas to help maximize the space’s potential. No. 1: Install Cabinets Most walls on the sides of staircases hide completely hollow spaces behind them. By putting a few cabinets or shelves in that space, you can
exponentially increase your home’s storage without increasing its size.
From Neglected Nook to Functional Space REIMAGINE YOUR UNDER-STAIR STORAGE
No. 2: Playspace Galore This is where that tiny door and tiny space can come in handy — because kids are tiny, too! To create a child-size playroom, add a child’s cushioned chair, lamp, toys, a rug, and even some books. No. 3: A Wine ‘Cellar’ Wine lovers everywhere dream of one day having a space dedicated to their beloved reds and whites, but finding room in their home to build it may prove impossible. But not if you have stairs! You can fill that awkward under-the-stairs space with wine cabinets and finish with glass doors. No. 4: A Room for Your Dog While your dog may share your space with you, they probably don’t have a room they can call their own. Fill your area under the stairs with a fluffy dog bed, a water bowl, mood lighting, and a few toys, and your dog will be living large.
The Guard Squirrel Who Went Nuts on a Burglar
Anyone robbing a house must know they’re getting into a dangerous situation. But the teenager who burgled Adam Pearl’s Meridian, Idaho, home had no idea what consequences were in store. Many homeowners have a guard dog, but Pearl got his home security from Joey, his pet squirrel. One day in 2017, Pearl came home and saw that something seemed amiss. Joey was excited, and the doors he’d left closed were now open. After finding scratches on the lock of his gun safe, Pearl knew there’d been a robbery and called the police. Officer Ashley Turner couldn’t help but notice Joey’s presence in the house but didn’t believe he was connected with the case — at first. A few hours later, Turner returned to Pearl’s house with his missing belongings and a story to tell. She’d partially identified the perpetrator by the suspicious scratches on his hands. During questioning, Turner said the burglar confessed to the home invasion and explained why he’d left sooner than intended: Joey attacked while he was attempting to break into the gun safe. Unsurprisingly, the rodent’s violence was frightening. “He wasn’t expecting to have, you know, a squirrel come flying out of nowhere at him,” Officer Turner said. The thief reported that leaving was the only way to stop Joey’s aggression.
After learning of his bravery, Pearl rewarded Joey with his favorite candy, Whoppers. But he then had a difficult choice ahead. When Joey was still a tiny baby, Pearl and his wife had taken in the abandoned squirrel. They had intended to release Joey back into the wild when spring came, but they were no longer sure. Ultimately, they let Joey decide. After he started playing with other squirrels through the home’s sliding glass door, the Pearls installed a cat door so he could come and go as he pleased. Joey spent several weeks outdoors with other squirrels by day and returned to the Pearls by night. Eventually, he requested one final scratch behind the ears before disappearing into an apple tree and leaving the Pearls’ house behind forever.
Though Joey returned to the great outdoors to live with his kind, his legend is a warning
to humans. When you break into someone’s home, you never know what you might find.
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