Space is something that everyone covets – but never seems to have enough of. There’s a good chance that when your home was being built, maximizing space wasn’t much of a concern; however, the home that seemed spacious enough when you first moved in may seem to be shrinking after several years. Unfortunately, creating space is not as simple as expanding a room on a whim. Sometimes, you need to get a bit more creative. In many cases, there are overlooked places in the home that can provide extra storage or living space with some simple remodeling. But first, you have to find these hidden places where you can stretch some square footage. Here are a few handy tips on how you can identify and make the most out of the hidden places in your home.

 

Look Under Your Stairs

 

The area under the stairs is one of the commonly overlooked and often underutilized spaces in your home, but it’s actually perfect for additional storage solutions or extra living space. You can turn this practically-neglected space into a storage room, a work station/reading nook, or even a concealed hiding place intended for emergencies or dire situations. Consider these simple remodeling ideas to maximize space utilization of this area.

 

  • Design a secluded study corner for schoolwork
  • Create an entire built-in closet (the wall on the back of the stairs should provide convenient access)
  • Add bookcase or shelves along the wall or side of the stairs (great for optimal usage of vertical space)
  • Install pull-out drawers into the treads and faces of the stairs (the newest trend in building stair-based storage; can be a bit tricky but most homeowners find the concept positively appealing and splendidly efficient)
  • Transform space underneath the stairs into a cubbyhole that can serve as a cloakroom or perhaps dumping ground for unwanted items.

 

Give Your Laundry Room A New Spin

 

Remodeling the laundry room may not rank high on your list of home improvement projects. More often than not, it is taken for granted as the catch-all storage area. The truth is more homeowners nowadays are upgrading and turning the usually damp and dim laundry room into a highly utilized and cozier living space. Here are some interesting pointers and helpful tips that might be worth adding to your “laundry list”.

 

  • Laundry Room Plus Workstation. Get your laundry done while you’re working on blueprints, crafting an intricate jewelry design, or overseeing homework of your school-age kids. With an efficient workstation-laundry room, you can do all those – and more! Great lighting is essential to an effective workspace, so have adequate overhead lights or pendant lights. If the room doesn’t have any yet, you might want to add wall-mounted cabinets to store craft supplies and laundry materials. Counters can do dual function for folding clothes and crafting (or computing) work; while under-counter cubbies, cabinets or drawers can also provide additional storage space. With some creativity and resourcefulness, you can transform this seemingly dank, unproductive area of your home into a well-organized combination of home-office/craft station and laundry center.

 

  • Family Room-Laundry Room Combo. Are you spending a good deal of time carrying overflowing laundry basket up and down the stairs, sorting through, and washing clothes in the confines of the cave-like, windowless unfinished basement? Does it feel like you’re devoting more hours down there than in your living room? It may be time to think of an informal area for family lounging or for TV viewing/movie watching. Give some thoughts to what your family needs and consolidate them with the mechanical upgrades and finish work required to transform the area into a ‘laundry-room-meets-family-room’ living space.

 

  • Three-in-One (Back Entry-Laundry Room -Mudroom) Combination. There’s no arguing that a house’s back door often ends as the main door with the hall serving as the mudroom where mucky clothes are taken off; drippy umbrellas and dirty footprints leave their marks as family members make their way to the adjoining room (typically the kitchen). This remodeling concept will work great in the high-traffic, multipurpose entryway, especially if you have kids. The back door can easily transition to laundry room-mudroom. With a utility sink in the laundry area, they can wash their hands and muddy shoes before entering other rooms in the house. The best part is they can easily toss muddy clothes directly into the washing machine. The dirt goes no further than this area. Integrate a cubbyhole (or lockers), and you’ll even have more space to store shoes, toss backpacks, stow sports equipment, or hang coats and winter clothing.

 

Explore the Versatile Potentials of Crawl Spaces

 

Customarily left unfinished, crawl spaces often make homeowners feel that they are stuck with wasted space. If your house has a crawl space (instead of a basement), don’t fret. Crawl spaces offer a number of potentials and more homeowners are looking at the crawl space as a prospective storage spot and even a great spot to upgrade into a living space. You can either renovate it in its present dimension or dig it out to create additional space. Below are a few great ideas for crawl space renovation.

 

  • Wine cellar. Even if it’s not conditioned, you can simply frame the area, ensure that it is properly waterproofed, and insulate it to attain base temperature. With adequate lighting and appropriate wine shelves/racks, you can turn this hidden space into a functional and useful area.

 

  • Storage. Transforming crawl space to obtain more storage space doesn’t really require much and is, in fact, one of the common routes that most homeowners take. One thing that you have to ensure is apposite drainage and sufficient ventilation as underground spaces are predisposed to mold, which you certainly don’t want in your stored items and your property in general.

 

  • Workshop. If you are fond of working on things but don’t have available space where you can tinker with stuff, why not convert that crawl space into a full workshop? You won’t even need to fully finish the area, which is a definite advantage. Cinder block walls would suffice; add a workbench, work table, and tool storage and you’d be happily working in your new workshop in no time at all.

 

  • Home Theater. If you’ve always yearned to have a dedicated home theater in your own home, there couldn’t be a more perfect area to convert into one than a crawl space. You may have to start from scratch and do some digging out but being subterranean, a crawl space is perfect for setting up the acoustics to obtain the best sound; plus, you can maximize lighting effects to its fullest potential.

 

  • There are other possible crawl spaces renovations that you may want to consider in order to maximize the utility of this hidden space. After ensuring that the area is properly conditioned, adequately insulated, sufficiently waterproofed, and all other aspects for comfortable living are looked into, add everything that’s necessary to serve the room’s ultimate purpose.  For children’s playroom, appropriate lighting, toys, books, small tables and chairs are a must. If you’d rather transform it into a reading area for older family members, add a decently sized bookshelf some comfortable pillows, and the all-important lamp. Or if you just have a simple niche lounge area in mind, end tables, plenty of pillows, and comfy chairs would go well in this converted seating area and provide a lived-in feel to the new room.

 

Hidden Benefits

 

You may not realize it but your home is full of hidden spaces that can be remodeled to add storage and living space without radically changing its footprints. Renovating these nontraditional spaces not only adds value to your home but also makes it more flexible and comfortable for your family’s daily routine. Moreover, ample storage space could make a house more attractive to buyers, in the event that selling becomes necessary. You may not get back dollar for dollar, but it can be considered additional asset. With these types of renovations, your house will definitely sell faster; more importantly, you get to enjoy the comfort and convenience it creates while you’re still in the house.

 

Give your home added storage space and some bonus rooms; all you have to do is discover those hidden spaces and make the most out of them. If you’re not quite sure about their viability, Fineline Construction has unquestionable expertise to help you identify the best areas with great potentials. So call 704 332 1747 today and get a FREE consultation – absolutely no obligation!