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Brilliant Storage Idea: Staircase Drawers

inhabitat.com — "Regardless of attempts to be organized in the modern world, most of us continue to be ashamed of one (or eight, in my case) junk drawers around the house- black holes filled with old receipts, pens, and random trinkets. But now you can flaunt your junk drawer with Unicraft Joinery ’s simple yet brilliant under-the-staircase drawer solution."

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  • geekweek, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9Now that is using the ole noggin!
    • stlcadet11, on 10/11/2007, -1/+77until you leave one open and someone is running down the stairs...
    • tungsai, on 10/11/2007, -1/+45Well, perhaps a spring-loaded drawer that closes itself?
    • JT114881, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6Did anyone else picture exactly what it would look like in their head when they saw the title?
    • roosterjm2k2, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7Actually, thats a good point...

      Could be easily fixed though, perhaps a spring system to pull them shut, that can be locked open...and a IR sensor beam at the top and the bottom that would trip some sort of "unlock" setup that would slide the drawers closed...

      That, or just look where you're going.
    • ZennZero, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3Working (slow) mirror:

      http://www.dotcache.com/http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/06/11/a-brilliant-storage-idea-staircase-drawers/

    • EBFoxbat, on 10/11/2007, -5/+4Must be super structurally-sound.
    • sm4k, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9@ebfoxbat

      Wouldn't need to be any more structurally sound than this:

      http://shaman.princessleia.com/img/magicroom/stairs_up_to_space_above_garage.jpg
    • bigdc, on 10/11/2007, -1/+15@stlcadet11:

      I've seen this argument before, and I have to ask: who the hell leaves drawers open anywhere? When I get something out of my dresser, I close the door when I'm done. Getting something out of a kitchen drawer, likewise. Who are these people who leave drawers open all willy-nilly, because I don't know them.
    • alpinweiss88, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6I wasn't thinking that leaving a drawer open would be that big of a deal - I always close drawers.

      But what if you have to move something heavy up/down the stairs? These surely couldn't take the load of normal stairs. Perhaps an alternative design would be to have 2 smaller drawers, leaving the middle of the stair fully supported.
    • djdole, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3@roosterjm2k2
      lol
      That (the IR beam locker/'unlocker') would be annoying as hell,...but hilarious in some scenarios too.
      Annoying in that how would the beam know if you are walking down the stairs to just go downstairs, or to go to get something form the middle-staircase drawer. ("The F'in drawer always locks before I can even get near it!") It'd be kinda like a Japanese puzzle-box in stair form.

      Hilarious if the above happens to someone else and you're around to witness it,
      ....or if the locking/unlocking mechanism is loud as hell and your cat goes up/down the stairs. X-D

    • xtmno3, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4@alpinweiss88 (#7129272)

      Most staircases in typical American residential homes are supported by the stair stringers spaced near the sides (and occasionally in the middle, if need-be from the width of the stair). The front piece of wood does less than you would think for supporting things. Assuming the builder of the house didn't cut it close on distances I doubt it would be a big problem to fill in the 'empty' space with a drawer.
    • texpundit, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1"Well, perhaps a spring-loaded drawer that closes itself?"

      Why not have a simple, spring-drawer that has the double-click (either magnetic or mechanical) catch? You know...like the ones on those Ikea entertainment centers with the glass doors and no handles. You'd push the drawer front in (with your toe, even) and it unlatches and automatically slides out. To close, you just do the process in reverse. Simple.
    • JonLatane, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2@bigdc:

      *Raises hand* My drawers are open all the time. It's mostly because I never have enough drawers, so my crap sticks out too much to close them and open them easily, though. I guess the extra drawers afforded by this would solve that though.

      But believe me, the people who leave drawers open aren't just crazy folk. It's like saying "my goodness, who would leave the lights on when they leave the bathroom!"
    • roominator, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4"why is underwear hanging out of your stair tread?"
    • grumpyrain, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Good idea, except that metal tag which appears to be the handle looks like it could easily catch your shoe lace and send you flying. It would be better with a push-in-to-release draw.

      On the other hand, a remote trigger to open the draws could make for many an April fools joke.
    • diggitizer, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0I pictured it in my head, and thought:

      Yeah, good luck finding something, too many places.
      Great place for valuables.
      How many deaths?
      Pulling a draw of heavy, weight shifting documents towards you while standing on a step? Darwin award FTW

      But, overall, I thought, what a great way of re-assessing the space we use in our homes.



  • mcherm, on 10/11/2007, -5/+8A simple, straightforward idea that's clever, although it HAS been done before. I guess now they'll get a patent on it.

    Seriously though, this is an example of good design.

    And seriously, our (the world's, thanks mostly to the USA) patent system is messed up. But it has nothing to do with these drawers.
    • ferndave, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9Yeah, the Japanese have been doing it for a few hundred years with kaidan tansu.
    • hotsake, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Fern is correct. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tansu

      Interesting bit from the Wiki:

      "The Kaidan-dansu (or step-chests as they are sometimes called) were often designed in several modular pieces. This was used to avoid taxation on other areas of a home when taxes were levied based on the size of ones home. When the tax collectors were coming around the chest that functioned as stairs up to a separate level could be moved so that their function could be hidden."

      Now that's what I call tax evasion. :D Maybe Wesley Snipes could use a few pointers next time.
  • Ub3rg33k, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Seems to be down already. Pity, I'd love to see it.

    Seems like a good idea, but I'd imagine that a LOT of extra work in order to get that to work out correctly. Good for people in cramped quarters, but I can't imagine this would be very practical in most applications.
  • jongos, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1Great idea....for me to poop on!

    Sorry, haven't done that in a while. Anyways, this is both creative and functional. I could really use something like this.
  • jdorenbush, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2http://www.duggback.com/design/Brilliant_Storage_Idea_Staircase_Drawers/
    • rook441, on 10/11/2007, -6/+0that duggback link doesn't help if it just tries to get the page off the original server
    • kendawg, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1Do you see the DOTCACHE link at the top? Yeah, it's that one to the right of the word MIRRORS. Click it.
  • slapded, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2is it better than yaffa?

    GO YAFFA
  • Otto, on 10/11/2007, -2/+19A better idea would be to have each individual stair hinged, so that they lifted up to reveal the small storage space underneath. This would prevent the running-down-the-stairs-into-certain-doom problem, since the hinged stair would a) be gravity closed and b) probably be stepped on, closing it forcefully.
    • CiQuat, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Could you imagine the issues if you caught the lid with your toe as you ascended the stairs? (I know I do it often enough to warrant concern.) I think spring-loaded pull-out drawers would be far safer than that solution.
    • violentvinyl, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2@CiQuat (#7128099)
      Good idea, good rebuttal. I'd say put the hinge on the leading edge, but then when you were going down, if you stepped too far over the edge the step would open and sending you sliding down the stairs. You could do it lengthwise, but they might be difficult to open without some more engineering.
    • CedEx, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0I was thinking that each individual drawer that can be pulled out has a flip up lid (sort of like a hood of a car). That way, even when it's pulled out, you can still stand on the lid. Also, if the drawer was pulled out and the lid open, a person walking down the stairs can simply kick the lid down and continue to walking.



    • CatalystGhost, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1It'd be simple to correct the problem... just put something in each stair, so that when there's any pressure on it, it holds down the covers of the two adjacent stair steps. I'm not sure of the intricacies of that (I'm no carpenter or anything), but it doesn't seem too difficult...

      And maybe have a button or something on the far side of the stairs to disable that on each individual drawer. Then, you can stand on a stair and open the drawer above it.
    • Juaquin, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Yeah, good idea but that warrants a tripping hazard by catching the edge. I think the best idea really is a spring-loaded drawer - it won't open in any accidental way (such as tripping), and it closes automatically so that it won't be left open.
    • theholycow, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Otto is right. The safety issue about catching the lip and pulling it open is very simple; just include a latch. It can be any of a million different types of latches under the lip (maybe in a recessed cutout), or it could be recessed on top -- it would be too small for your foot to operate and even if you did operate it that means that your weight is on the step.

      Not only is it safer, but simpler, cheaper, and gives you more space. I love it.
    • calebrown, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1I did this in my bedroom about 7 years ago, works great!
    • Juaquin, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1You're not going to trip on a latch either? Anything that's not a completely smooth surface, or anything that can be accidentally moved is a hazard. Just sayin'
    • Otto, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Who says the latch has to be outside the stair itself? The latch could be embedded into the stair and just holds it closed enough to prevent you from opening the thing without intending to (like catching your toe on the edge). You actually have to grab it and pull hard to release the latch.
  • misfit815, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1Can't see the site, so I'm going on the teaser only, but it sounds like what I just did the other day. We have a short stair from our family room up to the garage (it's a tri-level house). I took out the old stair and made a new one that's got a hinged top. It's the perfect place to throw your muddy shoes so they don't clutter the walking area. So, y'know, been there, done that, no intention of getting a patent.

    J
  • GrendelT, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2How is this site down already?!
  • 1Stoner, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Bummer my Stairs are carpeted
  • KingDaveRa, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Ohh... that's just freaky. I was putting some stuff under the stairs today and actually thought 'I wonder if it would be practical to build drawers into the steps'. So apparently, yes, it is practical!
  • Davekcon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+27what a good place to put my slinky collection!
    • Lane, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2what a good place to put my punji stick collection!
  • JJman69, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5It's been done so many times before...
    Every yacht in existence has these.
    The only problem with them is that it's a bitch to get around them if they're open, and a bitch to close them from above.
    • CedEx, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5So basically you can trap your grandmother upstairs if you open all the drawers?

  • FunkyGuy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4main site died...

    googled and found different page http://desiretoinspire.blogspot.com/2007/04/stairs-and-storage.html
  • HMTKSteve, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3You better reinforce those stairs if you want to use them for storage space.

    A compartment that would be accessible by lifting the step is better than a pull-out drawer for stairs.
  • josegutz, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10Can't do it... The boogie man lives under the stairs... He'll just get upset and take it out on me...
  • robotbling, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4beaten by the Japanese and about a hundred years
  • uncoolcentral, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3Great idea until some jackass leaves a drawer open and then breaks his neck on the way to the can at night. Then the courts can have fun with this one! All hail the US "legal" system.
  • madk, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3My parents old house (built in the 50s) has hidden storage in the basement steps. My dad actually just used it to house some of his tools so he didn't have to run to the workshop whenever he needed something. Good idea tho. Definitely a great use of space. Unlike the ones in the article ours open from the top with a hinge.
  • mrkyleman, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Why are some of these people getting dugg down... i see people posting entirely valid comments and getting buried for no reason...

    Interesting take on drawrers nonetheless
  • slapthemonkey, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Whats the price?
  • dotspace, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Like a closet under the stairs with a door off to the side of the staircase isn't practical and genius enough?

    Drawers in stairs is a bad idea on so many levels.
  • algo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4now if there's an option to open all the draws at once at high speed remotely, you'd have a nice anti intruder device too.
  • chaesar, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Whatever happened to "throw out the ***** you dont use" If entire countries of people can fit their life into a burlap sac, you could probably get by without the extra third Philips screwdriver.
  • Sinistocrat, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0I can easily see my heel smashing through the top of those steps on one of my romps up and down the stairs.
    • silverchrysalis, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1i suppose, if you build your steps out of porcelain...
  • bitemedigg, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2and now you can build your own http://www.canadianhomeworkshop.com/weekend/risers.shtml
  • senixon, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Awesome idea, just have to make sure there is some sort of support in the middle of the step as it will eventually sag without it.
  • fic7i0n41, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0A good idea but not all that new. I think the ones that open out the side are a bit better safety wise as well.
    http://www.geocities.com/roman.jost/KATE00_Jap_Treppenmobel.htm
  • cuoops, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Most building codes will not allow you to do certain things to stairs. I'd be surprised if they would let someone do this. Mainly due to the support under them.
  • estacado, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5It's going to be hard to remember which step is the one I keep my porn stash in.
    • frostw, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Just look for the cum stained step one below it.
  • JohnnyRad, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I filled my stair drawer with spikes!
  • bincoder, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0If you have so much junk that you need to squirrel it away in the stairs, time to have a yard sale!
  • DaleoftheUK, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1So this is nothing like the cupboard under my stairs?
  • justncase80, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1This is the worst idea ever. It's and accident waiting to happen.
  • myfanwy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1*****, buy some bin liners and de-clutter yourself. you'll thank me later
  • WaltDismal, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1This is structurally really a poor idea. In five years all the steps will sag in the center. Though that may not matter after the first time a child leaves a drawer open and someone tumbles and breaks an arm, or kills themself. This has to be an idea conceived by an artist and not a builder.
    • tybris, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Trivial problems. Use a spring or a slope to have them automatically close and clip to ensure it's closed.
    • Davekcon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0if we can put a man on the moon, I'm pretty sure we can make a set of stairs with drawers in them that don't sag.
  • Error601, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I don't think I've ever seen a house that doesn't use the space behind the stairs for storage. I've got a closet full of stuff behind mine. It would be a bit difficult for me to install drawers because of the stringers in the middle.
  • gaindev, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Imagine one day you have to use Google WhereIsIt to search for your stuff inside the drawers as you don't remember which one you put in.

    Also I don't think this staircase wont be strong enough and will break, especially in Japan (hint: Sumo Jump P)
  • anteyekon4myst, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Jimmy left the drawer open again. Nearly killed grandma as she was coming down the stairs.
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