I have a giant closet underneath my stairs. It is very long and fairly wide. I typically use it to store all my Christmas decorations and stuff from my childhood. It has gotten so full though that I can't get to anything so yesterday I took everything out and put it in the middle of my office. I am going to go through it and get rid of at least half of it. I was looking at the closet last night and looking at the pile of toys in my family room and actually got an idea that maybe the closet would make a good toy storage/play area. We don't have a toy room so we have lots of toys in the family room. The closet is right by the family room and I have two more hall closets that I could potentially store Christmas stuff in, although they are not nearly as big.
So, what do ya'll think? Is this very weird? Would it be weird to tell my kids to go play in the closet? If I don't do this then I need to get a toy organizer thing for the family room so there can be some place to corral the toys at night.
Edit- There is a light already in there. It is on the wall and it is very bright. The door does not have a lock so no chance of getting locked in. It is perfectly safe. It is even large enough to put a small book shelf against one wall for books.
Have they watched Harry Potter? It's like the "cupboard under the stairs!" LOL Just kidding - they will think it's just like a fort. Kids love that kind of thing!
Not weird at all. When I was little my grandma had her closet under the stairs set up for all of the grandchildren to play in (games, toys, bookshelf, even a small rocker). We loved it! It's one of my favorite memories.
It is the perfect Kid Cave! Put bins in there and let their imaginations run wild! Give them an old computer keyboard or laptop (with the battery removed) and it can be their secret agent lair. So many possibilites!
its a great idea! we loved making offices and other play spaces out of our closets. apartment therapy ohdeeoh has some GREAT ideas for alternative uses for a closet. i sent you a search link for insperation. http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/search?q=closet+
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its a great idea! we loved making offices and other play spaces out of our closets. apartment therapy ohdeeoh has some GREAT ideas for alternative uses for a closet. i sent you a search link for insperation. http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/search?q=closet+
When we were looking for houses, one of them had turned the closet under the stairs into a play room. They had painted it blue with clouds on the walls, and it was so pretty! I've always thought that was a great idea.
I wished my closet under the stairs were big enough to do that. That is such a COOL idea, and you don't have to send them any where in severe weather if they're already playing in there. LOL! Imagine what people think when they're grown ups, and they say that their playroom was under the stairs. Hilarious!
Our closet under the stairs has been the "toy closet" for years now. It's a great use of a large closet - go for it!
I think it's a fine idea! I understand the need to have some toys cleared out of common areas, I feel a little bit like toys are taking over our house!
Sounds like the perfect place. I've actually seen people who have done that. Instead of calling it a closet, you could change the name to a club house or something similar.
They did a show on Wasted Spaces that converted the exact space and the kids loved it!
What a great playspace in my opinion! You can paint it all fun and still close the door.
Best Wishes
GREAT IDEA! When we first got a computer (a looong time ago) that same closet was our "computer room", the door was hardly ever closed, there was a light, and a bookself, actually it's still an "office" but we now have laptops. Prior to it being a "computer room", we had used it to store baby items as they were outgrown so they were in easy reach to pass-on to friends and relatives.
I did the same thing for my girls- ages almost 3.5 and almost 1.5. I put their table and chairs in there and some toy storage bins along the walls. We didn't have lights so I got some battery operated ones you can stick on the wall. I don't let my 1.5 year old in there long by herself (she likes to climb on the table) but they love it! And when my 3.5 yo has a friend over they love to color in there- but they do make a HUGE mess! We are working on keeping it clean:)
Tom Cruise made his a 'mini office' for Suri. They showed it on Oprah one day and I never forgot it. I want to do the same thing because it was so cute, but right now mine is the litter box room until these cats are gone. :P
GO for it! Use your space as you see fit :) Remember, Harry Potter slept in the cupboard under the stairs :)
I think it is a great idea. I know a few people that have done that and also put bean bag chairs in there and turned them in to reading/homework areas. Nice a quiet and like a little fort.
Jealous! lol I made both my kids a "closet under the stairs" in their bedroom closets. A few clothes were above, and all was checked for safety, but I rigged a light into their closets, a little pillow chair, books and toys. They LOVED it!
I think it's a great idea!!
I think it is great! My husband has a room under the stairs(in the closet) He has a Tv and his video game stuff (a true man cave lol). I don't let my kids watch tv, so this is completely out of the way and I don't have to ever see it.
I think your kids could really like.
I think that's a great idea! I would love to do that in our closet, but it isn't as big as yours! Ours is our 'tornado' room!
Good thinking!
My aunt and uncle did that exact thing with their closet under the stairs and my cousins and I loved it when we were little. Nothing weird about it in my opinion.
We did that! There was a regular closet with a small door to a large crawl space. Neighbors with the same model had turned it into a toy room. We did too and I don't know what we would have done without it... I wouldn't say the kids spend hours playing inside it but they do some and most importantly, we keep almost all the toys there! Btw, I put hooks on one wall so we can still hang coats.
Edit: we got rid of the small door and wall and made it one big space
I used to have a closet like that when I was little. I used to LOVE to play in it. Kids love little nooks and crannies they can play in.
I think it might make a good shelter from a severe storm myself. I would put some shelves in for some extra food and water, blankets, etc...just in case you needed to take shelter. I also think it would be a fun space to have a secret play room.
I have made mine into storage pantry ok not me my husband did it but it really works great mine also has stairs that lead into the basement if your has no stairs then yes I think it would be a great idea to make it into a play room for the kiddos.As long as their is plenty of light & they are unable to lock themselves in there.
Not at all weird. I was a Real Estate agent for several years and saw many homeowners who did this with their under stairs closets. Many of them put lights in there so that the kids wouldn't be in the dark if the door was closed. I think it's a great use of space and not at all strange.
When we were little our neighbors had a big closet underneath their stairs. We always used to play in there. And it was in no way a dedicated play area. It had one little light - it was a hide out, a cave, a treehouse, a secret spy place - you name it.
I'd ask the kids and get their input as to how they'd like it set up!!! YOU can set the tone for it - I think it's a GREAT idea!!!!! And if it's like the one we had - in the VERY BACK, you can actually put a couple storage boxes that the kids will never bother!!! You can pick up those plastic bins and slide out drawers at garage sales all the time - we just had a church wiide sale and there were 5 or 6 of them at it along with short bookshelves! HAVE FUN!!!
Sounds like a fun hideaway. I think one of the shelter magazines even did a thing on a kid's reading nook that was tucked into a closet. Whatever works. You may discover it's their favorite spot. I'd ask the kids what they think.
