apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It is hard to tell from the photo, but I am assuming that the opening is about four feet wide at the bottom. If so, I would just get a piece of MDF cut ot the size and shape of the opening. Nail or screw a one by one on the right hand side (or if you prefer all around the opening), and mount the MDF door with those european invisible hinges. Cut a hand hold on the left side, or use a knob that goes with your interior. Leave a little space at the bottom so it does not scape the floor. Paint to match the room. Instant closet.

A curtain is going to be the easiest and cheapest option. If you can sew you can just whip one up yourself - put a rod on the stair side of the triangle, and hang a curtain the exact shape and size of the opening from it. To prevent the curtain from slipping down, put a grommet in the top corner of the curtain, and then a hook into the wood, voila, you can just unhook the curtain, and you'll have access. Or you can lift up the long side and duck in.

Alteratively, you could get a carpenter to build you a cabinet/door . . . which would be more long term, and probably blend into the wall more, but will also be more expensive.

good luck!

I agree that a curtain will be the easiest option, but built-in doors would look really sharp. On another note, I wonder if you might consider moving the entertainment center. I don't know your floorplan, but the current location seems to be a bit awkward. It's the first thing you see from what looks to be the front door on the left (in the 1st pic), plus the speakers break the diagonal line created by the stairs. I know this is off topic, but I figured I mention it anyway...

I see one problem - your steps are open, aren't they? So you're going to see into the closet when you're going up the steps. Also, with the open steps, things in the back of the closet would get dusty.

However. If you are going to do a closet, I do suggest doing it right. Install a light. Install some plywood or other wall material to define a rectangular door opening and install some sliding doors. IMHO, a curtain would look as slapdash as the current pile of stuff.

I guess I sound pretty negative about the project - I have exactly such a closet, and I'd like to remove it and open the space! Only, like you, I need the storage. Sigh.

Best,
Joanne

Oh! Now I see that there is only a tiny triangular space, not a large space. So my previous post is totally useless (sorry). Maybe just put away the junk and place a funky art object in there?
Joanne

'tis a bit of a tiny space. however, I would put a shelf across, close off with doors anyway, put a thin piece of wood "up" under the steps, and you'll have a nice little place to neatly store some things. I think the larger issue would be to get a smaller entertainment unit. It dwarfs everything and you're hiding those beautiful floors. Perhaps an entertainment unit that is shorter, longer, and has doors. The TV could go on top, the speakers on the side and then you will have two storage areas and a nice clean look. Yeah?

Thanks for all the suggestions so far! To CW - we used to have the TV/entertainment center on the opposite wall, but the cable/DSL hookups are under the stairs (of course! sooooo logical!). With the Saltillo tile we couldn't run the cords under anything, except those grey sticky rubber channels, which we used around the perimeter of the room. Needless to say, UGLY!

I'm cringing about the entertainment center comments - it is actually a new one we purchased to fit against the small flat wall area between the stair gap and a small half-bath. It is 5' tall and about 3.5' wide. Our old center was low and horizontal, but it blocked access to under the stairs. Curse you, awkward under-stair space!!

Thanks again for the ideas, keep 'em coming!

Nikki

It might appear more finished to frame out the opening and add a drywall partition, with a small pre-fabricated stock cabinet door for access. Be sure to add stair risers... plywood or mdf or even OSB is fine for this. When you recarpet, you can unify the look with the stairs above.

I would also suggest building in a mesh screened-opening and storing your subwoofer behind it, under the narrow portion of the stairs.

I like Elizabeth's curtain idea, and would use some sort of fabric that can act as art - a tapestry, a quilt, a solid sheet decorated somehow, anything. Then using the same fabric or something related, get a strip to line the bottom of the stairs with grommets in the fabric and hooks at each (or maybe every other?) step. It will provide a nice visual detail to the steps, and protect the closet from dust, and you can just unhook it to shake it out or get it washed or dry cleaned depending on what you use. The curtains provide a quick and cheap solution, and that gives you time to live with it and decide if you want to do something else.

Nikki! Don't worry about the entertainment center comment...you can't tell from these pictures about the rest of the room and how it fits within the room. I think once the area in question is closed off however you decide, that will minimize the eye clutter. It's not really cluttered, I can see how you have it organized, it's just a lot for the eye to take in in these pictures.

Perhaps, also, you can figure out how to get shelves for above the lower electronics and then have a place to store your CDs that are to the left the entertainment center? That would also minimize the eye clutter.

Good luck!

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Hang your best tops or bottoms on one hanger.
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Thanks