How Do You Fit a Shoe Storage Ottoman Under the Stairs?

To fit a shoe storage ottoman under the stairs, measure the vertical height at the point where the ottoman’s front edge will sit rather than at the tallest part of the recess, then choose a unit low enough to clear that line with its lid fully open. In most UK homes that means an ottoman between 35cm and 45cm high, pushed into the deeper end of the void so the sloping soffit rises behind it rather than over it.

The mistake almost everyone makes is measuring the tallest point of the understairs space and buying to that figure. Because the ceiling slopes, the usable height at the front of the unit is considerably lower, and a lid that hinges upwards needs clearance above it as well as around it. Getting the measurement point right solves most understairs frustrations before they happen.

Understanding the Shape You Are Working With

An understairs void is a triangle in section, and rarely a clean one. There is usually a stringer running diagonally overhead, sometimes a step in the plasterwork where the staircase turns, and often a gas or electricity meter cupboard eating into one end. Treat it as three separate zones rather than one space.

The tall end, nearest the bottom step, has the most headroom and is where a seat makes sense. The middle band is good for storage of medium height. The low end, where the soffit meets the floor, is only useful for shallow items on a pull out tray or nothing at all.

A storage ottoman naturally belongs in the tall end, because it needs headroom twice: once for the box, once for the lid. Positioning it there also puts the seat where a person can actually sit upright, which is the whole point of having one.

Taking the Right Measurements

You need four figures. First, the height at the point where the front face of the ottoman will stand. Hold a tape vertically at that spot rather than at the wall. Second, the height at the back face of the ottoman, which tells you whether a hinged lid has room to swing. Third, the depth from wall to the front edge of the void. Fourth, the width along the wall between any obstruction, typically a meter cupboard or the newel post.

Add clearance to each. Allow 5cm above the closed lid so it can be lifted comfortably and so nothing catches. Allow 2cm at each side, since understairs plaster is rarely straight. And check the skirting board, which will hold the unit forward by a centimetre or two and change your depth calculation.

If the ottoman has a lid hinged at the back, measure the arc. A 40cm deep lid opening to vertical needs 40cm of clearance above the back edge, which under a slope you almost never have. This is why lift off lids and front opening designs are often the better choice for understairs use.

Choosing the Right Type of Ottoman

Three designs suit understairs spaces, and they solve the clearance problem differently.

A lift off lid ottoman is the simplest. There is no hinge arc to worry about, so the only limit is the height of the box itself plus enough room above to lift the lid clear. This is the most reliable choice under a steep slope.

A front opening ottoman, with a drop down door or a drawer, needs no vertical clearance at all. It gives you the least convenient access to items at the back, but for shoes stored in a single layer it works well and lets you use a much lower part of the void.

A hinged lid ottoman is comfortable to use and holds the most, but only fits where the ottoman sits far enough into the tall end that the lid can open. Measure carefully before committing to this style, and consider whether the lid can stop at seventy degrees rather than vertical.

Our modern ottomans UK sale selection includes lift off, hinged and drawer front designs in a range of heights, which makes it easier to match the mechanism to the shape of your particular void.

Making It Comfortable to Use

An ottoman under the stairs earns its place as a seat as much as a box. Seat height of around 40cm to 45cm suits most adults for putting shoes on. Lower than 35cm and getting up again becomes awkward, particularly for older members of the household.

Think about the lighting. Understairs recesses are dark, and rummaging in an unlit box is how shoes end up on the floor instead. A battery operated motion sensor light stuck to the underside of the stairs takes minutes to fit and transforms how usable the space is.

Ventilation matters more here than in an open hallway. A closed box in an enclosed recess holds moisture, and damp trainers will smell. Leave the lid ajar after loading wet shoes, or choose an upholstered ottoman with a fabric that breathes rather than a fully sealed vinyl box.

Handling Awkward Voids

Where a meter cupboard takes the tall end, you have a decision to make. Either accept a lower ottoman in the middle band, or use the tall end for hanging coats and put shoes in a shallow front opening unit further along. The second option usually gets more from the space overall.

Where the stairs turn with a winder, the soffit height changes twice, and a single rectangular ottoman will waste volume. Two smaller ottomans of different heights, placed side by side, follow the slope far better than one large one. They are also easier to move when you need to reach a stopcock or meter.

Where the floor is uneven, which is common in older properties, check the ottoman sits flat before loading it. A box that rocks will wear at one corner and the lid will stop closing squarely.

If the void turns out to be too shallow for any ottoman, a bench with open storage beneath is worth considering instead. Our modern shoe racks and bench UK sale range includes low profile designs that fit under a slope where a lidded box will not, and pairing one with a piece from our modern blanket box UK sale selection lets you split seasonal footwear from daily pairs.

What to Store and What to Keep Out

An understairs ottoman works best for daily shoes and one layer of seasonal overflow. It is not a good home for anything you need frequently and urgently, since you have to stand up and lift a lid to reach it, and it is a poor place for anything that must stay dry, given the moisture that gathers in enclosed recesses.

Keep tall boots out. They will not lie flat in a 40cm box without creasing at the ankle, and standing them upright is not possible in most ottoman depths. Boots are better on an open rack or in a taller cupboard elsewhere.

Do use the ottoman for the things that otherwise clutter the hall floor: school shoes, trainers, slippers, the pair everyone kicks off at the door. That is the honest job of understairs shoe storage, and it does it well.

We stock ottomans, benches and low storage in a spread of heights and depths at Furniture in Fashion, so it is worth measuring your void before browsing rather than after. Free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes applies, and Returns are available up to 30 days if a unit turns out not to suit the shape of the space.

Air Movement in an Enclosed Void

Understairs recesses are quiet, dark and often poorly ventilated, and shoes going into them are frequently a little damp. That combination is what causes the musty smell people blame on the ottoman itself. The fix is simple but easy to overlook: give air somewhere to go.

Leave a gap of a few centimetres between the back of the ottoman and the wall rather than pushing it hard against the plaster. If the unit has a solid base, a slatted insert or even a shallow tray raises shoes off the bottom and lets air pass underneath. Open the lid for an hour when you are at home, particularly after wet weather, and never put shoes away while they are still visibly wet. A small bag of silica or a bowl of bicarbonate of soda tucked at the narrow end absorbs moisture between uses.

Watch for anything running through the void as well. Older UK homes often have gas or water pipes and electrical runs under the stairs, and these should stay accessible rather than being boxed in behind furniture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What height ottoman fits under stairs?
Between 35cm and 45cm suits most UK staircases when positioned in the taller half of the void. Measure at the point where the front of the ottoman will stand, not at the highest point of the recess.

Is a hinged lid or a lift off lid better under the stairs?
Lift off lids are more reliable under a slope, because a hinged lid needs vertical clearance above its back edge that a sloping soffit rarely allows.

Can I store wet shoes in an understairs ottoman?
Not straight away. Let them dry in the open first, since an enclosed recess holds moisture and a closed box will develop odour.

Do I need to worry about access to my meter?
Yes. Keep meters and stopcocks reachable and choose storage you can move without emptying it. Two smaller units are easier to shift than one large one.

Will an ottoman fit if my stairs have a turn in them?
Often not a single large one. Two ottomans of different heights placed side by side follow a winder far more efficiently than one rectangular box.