'Harry Potter' closet rehabs

From the Harry Potter Studio Tour London. Photo courtesy of Amber Primdahl, She's Catching Flights.

That "cupboard under the stairs" Harry Potter was miserably forced to hole up in by his abusive aunt, uncle and cousin until receiving his life-changing letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry can also be a source of misery or wizardry for homeowners, depending on whether they see it as a goldmine for rehab or a gaping hole for nothing. 

Since a stair must hog hall space to provide needed upstairs access, it may vex homeowners with the way the cavern it leaves underneath usurps living space. Or if storage, kitchen, bathroom, sleeping, laundry or whatever space is at a premium, the homeowner may not remember the buried treasure under the treads, awaiting wizardly wisdom for a rework to fulfill a crucial spatial need.

I was thinking about that while looking at a townhouse I was writing about for the now-defunct Boston Homes magazine, and the real estate agent pointed out the "Harry Potter closet" under the main stair. I opened its mysterious arched door to see a bulletin board, nearly flush with the under-stair wall. All very well, but denying the potential for creative use of the space beyond.

Of course, a bedroom like Harry's wouldn't be suitable for that space, because of the poor ventilation, light and leg-room he was given (which clearly didn't concern his extended family). But if the door and part of the wall were taken away, the space could become a comfortable sleeping nook for a child or guest, or perhaps a temporary landing spot for the homeowner if, say, the primary bedroom is being renovated or is recovering from flood or fire damage. 

Who could sleep in this cranny would naturally depend on the length of space the stair allots for it. Higher risers and shorter treads would yield space enough for a small-to-mid-sized child, because it would make the space more vertical. But lower risers and longer treads would put more horizontality into it, suiting it for taller people. 

And it needn't be limited to the bed. This example includes bookshelves and lights, making the space a cozy reading-in-bed retreat.

Photo courtesy of r/CozyPlaces on Reddit.com.

Here's another example of under-stair sleeping/library space, making even more of those tight quarters by sliding storage drawers underneath, possibly for bedding or slippers. It's cozier than the previous example – as little of the wall as possible was removed (probably just the door) for the greater enclosure that grants the hideaway safety we often need for a good night's sleep, but with the entry staying open so we're not Harry Pottered into claustrophobic suffocation.

Photos courtesy of HomeDecorHub.

But if your overflow of books calls for just a library under the stairs, bookshelves are among the easiest to wedge under that wedge of space, because the underbellies of the stairs could act like bookends in themselves, determining where to put the divisions between the shelves. And, depending on the width of the stairs, the library could also become a cozy reading corner (right).

Courtesy of Bria Hammel Interiors, Pinterest.

Photo courtesy of Lee Taylor, Pinterest.

And if your stairs are really wide, their under-space would be deep enough for a library with a built-in couch or upholstered bench for relaxing on while you're reading (left), with books there to grab above you. This is especially an advantage if your home has a curving bridal staircase (right). Its majestic circular sweep will lend sinuous elegance to your understair library/lounge, which may mean it could accommodate even more books and objets d'art, because no perpendicular walls will meet at the corner and possibly obstruct each other's contents.

Photo courtesy of Marina Sofety, Home Decorating Ideas

Since the COVID-19 era of working remotely from home mandated more office space there, what better place to put it than under the stairs? That way, it's remote from living, dining, entertaining and sleeping activities so work and study won't frustrate them, or vice versa, and their use-designated rooms won't disintegrate into multipurpose malfunction and family fracas. With a designer's imagination, an efficient office can be configured within the stair's underbelly. Tighter shelf spaces at the acute angles can accommodate small office-supply or index-card containers. The broader floor area the stair leaves as it descends to the floor can fit the desk, computer, file cabinets and bulletin board. Bookshelves can be stacked by the higher wall the stair creates as it rises to the upper level. 

Of course, this arrangement has its drawbacks: absent a door for light and air's sake, privacy for fuller work concentration and less distraction is also in absentia here. So the best understair office is a "quickie" one for brisker tasks: bill-paying, bookkeeping, looking up info online, emails, etc.

Photo courtesy of TalkDecor

Photo courtesy of Home Designing

If your understair space can be connected to house plumbing (which is easier if it's near the kitchen or a bathroom), it could house a washer and dryer (left), with space to spare for detergent, fabric softener, and maybe a sorting counter.

Or you could wedge in a powder room (right) for guests or any family member needing a quick rest stop before going out, especially if the first floor has no bathroom. Given the privacy a bathroom requires, putting one here would be a good excuse to preserve an understair door, especially if it has historical significance to the house. Or, for better air circulation in the powder room, you could cut away the wall so it just frames the space, and install a new door to fit into the frame.

Photo courtesy of bathrooms.com

It pays to be careful where you put each fixture in a space like this. Since people usually sit down to use the commode, that would best be placed on the side with the lowest headroom. Since all of us stand up to use the sink, that should go under the highest headroom. And, given the darkness and airtightness of this usually windowless space, good lighting and a powerful vent should be installed. (And be sure to leave room for at least one small cabinet for cleaning supplies and deodorant spray.) Again, make sure each fixture, lighting and vent location can be safely linked to your plumbing and electrical networks before deciding to install a powder room in there.

A kitchenette could conceivably be squeezed under the stairs, but that would depend on how broadly they sweep across the space as they go up, and how much headroom they leave for essential elements such as a small fridge or wine cooler, a counter with enough headroom for you to stand up while washing and enough length for a small oven and/or cooktop, and enough shelf/cabinet space for essential tableware. This would be especially handy if the kitchen is on the garden level or upstairs and you need to prepare something fast for guests without troubling them to make them walk up or down stairs, particularly if any of them is mobility-impaired. But, again, be sure a bathroom is near enough so the kitchenette can be plumbed for appliances and sink.

Photo courtesy of Outlook9 Shaw for Under Stairs Wine Cellars

But if all that plumbing isn't feasible for that little space and you still want it to fulfill a kitchenesque function that there isn't room for in your kitchen, your fine selection of libations could go there. Of course, you would have to decide what kinds of spirits would best fit there. If you want to store red wines, you could simply install wine-bottle cubbies and use the space as is, since red wines must be kept at room temperature. 

But if you want to store white wines, champagnes and/or imported beers, you would need refrigeration. So you would have to reconfigure the space for a wine cooler—either a standard-sized Sub-Zero or a deluxe wine-cellar cooler custom-designed to fit into more of the space. The latter would need a controllable thermostat so you can serve your drinks to your guests (or yourself, for an end-of-the-day nightcap by the TV, Super Bowl Sunday, or a pop of the cork to celebrate a milestone with your loved ones) at just their desired temperature. For that, a significant electricity source will have to be installed there, so make sure it can be done.

Not enough wines to fill it all out? Put a wet bar or dry bar in the rest of the space (right), so you can select, serve and swill in one swoop. Make sure to cubby the wine bottles in the lower part of the triangle and build in the bar and shelves in the upper part, to allow space for glassware, shakers, mixes and other bartenders' supplies.

Photos courtesy of AllDayChic

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

But if general storage is more wanting than wine storage—especially when toys, books, magazines, sports equipment, games, puzzles, coffee mugs, clothes, sweats, sneakers, shoes, skates, etc., etc., pile up beyond capacity—that understair cavity is practically made to order for that, since most underutilized, overlooked or wasted spaces tend to become storage receptacles anyway, Understair storage can take too many forms to go into here. But the storage drawers, cabinets, closets or cubbies should always be designed to use as much of that awkward triangular space as possible. 

The pull-out side-loading drawers in the upper left image are a splendid example, with the triangular leftovers functioning as shelves for all those little things that tend to get lost in closets or dresser-drawers. The drawers in the center seem to step up with the stairs, and the residual triangles are nicely paneled as attractive ornaments. The French-doored closets on the right lend domestic elegance to the stair while housing a lot of "storables." 

The shelves in the immediate left image attractively showcase all sorts of things, presenting them as household treasures, and leaving space for whatever is behind the left-hand door.

Yet there's another household treasure that could really use a space like this—especially in colder months—and could adapt to it best of all: your canine companion. The slant in the stairs suggests a doghouse, and one of these examples of indoor doghouses follows the slant as part of its "roof," which your dog may recognize as home if you have an outdoor doghouse. Besides, it's roomier than most doghouses, with space for supper and water dishes, a little play, a lot of sleep, and, first and foremost, total protection against the elements, while still feeling like home.

You can also make a young child feel more at home by carving out a playhouse under your stairs. Here are but six examples of how playful you can make your playhouse, giving children the illusion of coming home to their dream house, and a place to play with their friends in secrecy and autonomy. They can be illuminated, painted and decorated inside to make them more home-like. When your child outgrows the space, a dog could take it over, for a greater sense of dignity than just living "in the doghouse."

Photo courtesy of Odd Stuff Magazine.

But if your budget is limited—money-wise or space-wise—your Harry Potter closet can simply be a space to make or take a phone call in private, like the phone booths of yore. The door could be retained for the sake of confidential conversations, and very minimal furniture and lighting is necessary: a small chair, perhaps a tiny table, and a flashlight if necessary.

That, by the way, was how my college fraternity used its understair space. Being under a very short flight of stairs that introduced the main flight on a right angle with it, it was too cramped for much use. So they installed a permanent phone in there, back when analog landline wall phones with extendable twisted cords were still in vogue (remember the one in your parents' kitchen?). 

"After." Courtesy of Red Door Home.

"Before." Courtesy of Red Door Home.

Yet they attempted to put the space to its most practical (and costly) use of all: a second egress from the basement to comply with fire codes. They sawed out the floor, only to replank it after the frat president never heard from the builder and announced, "The stair is in limbo and may not be built at all." There were likely no funds for it—perhaps because they were later blown on a frivolous gable extension for an upstairs party lounge or studio suite. (Besides, the frat was in arrears with the college and was eventually shut down.)

Which goes to show how a phone closet remains one of the most economical ways to reuse a Harry Potter closet (next to a kids' game of Hide-and-Seek, a teens' game of Seven Minutes in Heaven, or a private place for anyone of any age to have a little cry if they need to).

Yet, as this image and the one way above show, a homeowner whose stair happens to run along the inside of one of the house's outer walls has an opportunity to bring light into this dark corner by adding a window. The "phone booth" benefits from an oculus, and this reading/fainting couch benefits even more from a quarter-circle window handsomely designed to just fit under the stairs and make a showpiece out of that space, as an energy-saving measure in daytime and a dash of elegance in a typically ignored corner.

Photo courtesy of Beautiful Bedrooms, London, UK

If that space is big enough—especially if privileged to be under a windowed mezzanine landing like this—a window could even turn it into a full bedroom or playroom, giving Harry Potter his much-needed light, ventilation and play space, not to mention a more direct escape to Hogwarts School.

Thank you for visiting. I welcome your comments!

Sources:

Clark, Krista, InspiredDesignOfHouse.com, Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69594756730474921/

"Closet space: Not so much," Meanwhile, at the Manse, January 27, 2013, https://atthemanse.wordpress.com/tag/harry-potter-closet/

"50 Creative Ways To Incorporate Book Storage In & Around Stairs," Home Designing, https://www.home-designing.com/under-stairs-shelf-ideas-for-book-storage

HomeDecorHub.com (defunct).

"Original Under Stairs Storage Space Ideas," AllDayChic, 2020, https://alldaychic.com/original-under-stairs-storage-design-ideas/

Sofety, Marina, "Under the Stairs Office Look, Home Decorating Ideas, https://homedecoratingmyideas.blogspot.com/2016/08/under-stairs-office-look-would-darker.html?spref=pi

TalkDecor.com (defunct).

"10 Wonderful Phone Booth Designs for Your Home," Odd Stuff Magazine, https://oddstuffmagazine.com/phone-booth-designs.html

The Bathroom Showroom at City Plumbing, https://bathrooms.com/

"Twin bed under the basement stairs. My reading hide out," r/CozyPlaces, Reddit, 2017, https://www.reddit.com/r/CozyPlaces/comments/8guzed/twin_bed_under_the_basement_stairs_my_reading/

"Under Stairs Wine Cellars," Outlook9 (private site), https://www.pinterest.com/Outlook9/_saved/

"Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour London Photo Essay," She's Catching Flights, https://shescatchingflights.com/harry-potter-studio-tour-london/

"Welcome to Beautiful Bedrooms, the Home of Bespoke Bedrooms, Built In Bedroom Furniture & Fitted Wardrobes," Beautiful Bedrooms, https://beautifulbedrooms.co.uk/

"What You Didn't See," Red Door Home, January 25, 2010, https://reddoorhome.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-you-didnt-see.html