Browse 13 built-in ideas for the space under the stairs by style and home, then check access, damp and ventilation before you build, and what each type costs.
The triangle under the staircase is often the biggest wasted space in a double-storey terrace or semi-D. Built in properly it can hold closed cupboards that follow the slope, pull-out units, a shoe store by the door, open display shelves, a small study desk or a pantry beside the kitchen. Before any design, check what is already there: the DB box, meters or water pipes often sit under the stair, and the ground-floor wall may be damp. Use the filters below to narrow the 13 concept designs by style or home type.
Each design below is an illustrative concept render, grouped by style and by the home it usually suits. Tap any image to enlarge it. Every card links to the ClickBina guide that explains the cost, the fittings or the room behind that look.
13 designs shown
Illustrative concept design · Modern · Terrace
Flush white handleless cupboards fill the slope under a white stair with a steel rail; at the low end one door opens on white pull-out trays and an internal drawer stack of white boxes.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
staircase renovation costs →Illustrative concept design · Minimalist · Terrace · Semi-D
Four handleless light oak doors run under a straight stair, their tops cut to the slope with fine shadow gaps, below an oak handrail cap.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
built-in vs loose storage →Illustrative concept design · Japandi & natural · Terrace
A light timber stair box has a slatted door open on a tall empty bay, open cubbies holding three pairs of shoes, and closed panels following the steps.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
shoe cabinet designs →Illustrative concept design · Modern · Semi-D
Walnut-lined open shelves fill the triangle under a white stair with stone treads, holding two white vases and a small plant, above three rows of walnut drawers.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
full-height shelving guide →Illustrative concept design · Japandi & natural · Semi-D · Bungalow
An oak desk top with a four-drawer oak pedestal sits under the stair, with a warm LED strip under a shelf of white boxes, a cream stool and a tall white cupboard beside.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
study room ideas →Illustrative concept design · Minimalist · Terrace
Grey cupboards with bar handles fill the space under an oak stringer; one door opens on a lit cupboard with an upright vacuum, a broom and lidded white storage boxes.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
store room conversion ideas →Illustrative concept design · Modern · Terrace
Sage cabinets fill the space under a white stair with oak treads; the middle bay opens on pull-out wire trays of jars, bowls and white boxes, with sage doors below.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
pantry cabinet designs →Illustrative concept design · Japandi & natural · Bungalow
Open-riser timber treads rise on a single black steel stringer, with a low wood-grain cabinet of doors and drawers on black legs beneath and one plant on top.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
stair tread finishes →Illustrative concept design · Classic · Bungalow
Cream shaker cupboards and drawers with brass knobs fill the space under a dark timber stair with cream spindle balusters, beside tall windows.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
staircase renovation guide →Illustrative concept design · Classic · Terrace
Under the low end of a sage-painted stair with oak treads, a sage bench with an oatmeal cushion sits over two drawers, with plain hooks on the wall above.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
small home storage ideas →Illustrative concept design · Modern · Semi-D
In the evening, a full wall of charcoal flush cabinets runs under a dark stair, broken by warm-lit open niches that each hold one small bowl, with drawers below.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
cabinet LED lighting →Illustrative concept design · Japandi & natural · Terrace · Semi-D
A light oak stair box has a house-shaped open nook with an empty round pet bed and two steel bowls, white drawers below and tall oak doors beside.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
pet-friendly home design →Illustrative concept design · Classic · Terrace
White louvred doors cut to the slope close the space under a pine stair with white balusters, with a plant in the corner.
💬 WhatsApp us about this design
musty cabinet causes →These are illustrative concept designs created to show style options. They are not completed ClickBina projects; your staircase is measured and quoted on its own shape, headroom and what sits underneath it.
More galleries: browse all design ideas by area of the house, from cabinets and kitchens to porches and grilles.
In a Malaysian terrace house the store under the staircase usually ends up as a dumping ground. ClickBina's store room conversion guide calls it often the biggest wasted space in the home and suggests pull-out drawers, a shoe store, a small wardrobe or a tidy utility cupboard. A built-in turns that void into storage that stays where it is and uses every corner up to the underside of the stair.
The right design depends on the stair. A straight flight gives one long sloping triangle, which suits a row of cupboards or pull-outs. An L-shaped or U-shaped stair has a landing that creates standing headroom, enough for a desk, a bench or a walk-in store. An open-riser stair is best left light, with a low cabinet underneath. The small home storage guide explains when built-in storage beats loose furniture.
| Option | Best for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Closed cupboards cut to the slope | Mixed household storage, a clean wall | Angled doors need careful hinge placement |
| Pull-out units and trays | Reaching the deep back of the void | Heavy-duty runners; clearance in the hall |
| Shoe store with slatted doors | Stairs that start by the main door | Airflow so shoes do not smell |
| Open shelves and drawers | A stair that is part of the living-room view | Only a few objects, or it looks cluttered |
| Study nook or bench | L-shaped and U-shaped stairs with headroom | Power points, lighting, seat height |
| Pantry or utility cupboard | Stairs beside the kitchen or service area | Dry, sealed storage at ground level |
| Staircase | What usually fits | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Straight concrete flight | Row of cupboards or pull-outs along the slope | Tallest unit at the high end, drawers at the low end |
| L-shaped with a landing | Study nook, bench seat or walk-in store under the landing | Check standing headroom before choosing a desk |
| U-shaped with a half landing | Cupboards under both the lower flight and the landing | Larger doors can hide a full store room |
| Open-riser timber or steel stair | A low cabinet or a plant strip underneath | Keep it low; dust falls through the treads |
The under-stair section of ClickBina's staircase renovation cost guide lists indicative Klang Valley prices for 2026: a custom built-in cabinet with doors at RM2,000 – RM6,000 for a standard straight-stair cavity, open shelving at RM800 – RM2,000, and a study nook with desk and shelving at RM1,500 – RM4,000. Measured per foot instead, the store room conversion guide gives a cabinet run with laminate or HPL doors at RM280 – RM420 per foot run.
Pull-out mechanisms, lighting, power points, louvred or shaker doors and any work on the stair itself are separate lines on a proper quote. Turning the space into a powder room is a different job that needs plumbing and is not covered on this page.
We build custom under-stair cupboards, pull-outs, shoe storage and study nooks as part of our carpentry work across KL and Selangor. WhatsApp us your job details: the stair type, a rough height and length of the space underneath, what sits there today and the design you like from this page, and we will reply within the hour with next steps. The price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges. A site visit to measure is RM150, waived if you go ahead with the job.
About the images: every image on this page is an illustrative concept design generated to show a style option. Captions describe what each render shows. RM figures are quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guides named above, indicative Klang Valley ranges for 2026.
WhatsApp us your job details for a quote — we reply within the hour.
💬 WhatsApp for a quoteTell us what you need — we reply within the hour.