Top 10 Stair Ideas for Small Spaces

Have you ever been in a home that has a particularly unique staircase or set of stairs, perhaps a beautifully stained wooden staircase or a one with a truly modern look, and been amazed as to how much character this one element adds to a house?

Conversely, have you ever seen a set of stairs that stood out because of its poor design or safety hazards? As is the case with many houses, the stairs are a feature that can really bring a home together (literally and figuratively) when they are constructed and designed with a smart approach and attention to detail. And while many homes do have your average size staircase between levels, stair design and construction becomes especially interesting and unique when doing so for small spaces! By installing or constructing stairs in small spaces, you can truly maximize the total area of a room by making it more functional; moreover, stairs which are nicely fitted into a small space can add the character that you want for your home!

Let’s take a look at 10 of the more popular stair ideas for small spaces, beginning with an idea for stairs in a tiny house!

1. Built-in stairs that double as storage ascending to loft in tiny house: Nothing is quite as space-efficient as a tiny house, and the stairs represent one of the most ideal features for living in an exceptionally small space. The design of these small space stairs function as normal stairs, with the added feature of having pullout drawers underneath each individual stair. By simply pulling out the drawer, you extend the length of the tread, and by releasing the latch keeping the top in place; you can instantly have access to the storage space underneath.
2. Simple wooden plank stairs instead of a ladder with built in storage features: This small space stair design works well in tight corners that have vertical access to an upper level loft or attic. With 3 initial stairs leading to a quarter landing, the stairs then turn 180 degrees at the angle a ladder would, all the while providing you potential storage space where before you had none.
3. Retractable attic ladder/stairway: A rigid and sliding staircase design that extends directly from the hatchway in your ceiling, and folds comfortably up into the ceiling when not in use, making it ideal for small spaces, like your garage or attic for instance.
4. Space saving modular staircase: Perfect for lofts and tiny homes alike, this staircase design is made with adjustable steps and alternating tread for true space efficiency and is functional, while still being easy to install for homeowners. This staircase design works well for both straight line installations as well as installations that require turns.
5. Efficient spiral staircase designs: By design, the spiral staircase takes up much less space than the traditional style staircase and as such, a spiral staircase is ideal for operating in small spaces and can be installed practically anywhere simply as a result of its size and shape. A spiral staircase is also one of the few staircase designs that are not constrained by room location.
6. Bookshelf that doubles as a space-efficient staircase: One of the more popular staircase designs for small spaces in one that essentially uses the space underneath the actual stairs as bookshelves, making it look like one cohesive staircase-bookshelf, giving you the space- saving attributes of a small staircase while at the same time, giving you an aesthetically pleasing place to store your books.
7. Switchback stairs with incorporated storage units: This staircase design is suitable for spaces that require a turnaround around the initial landing, and is also efficient because of all the potential areas to install storage space underneath the stairs, either in the form of drawers, cabinets, even tiny closets!
8. A child’s loft bed complete with desk and small staircase: This unique and fun design is special because it takes the idea of a bunk bed and increases its overall function and appeal, as it has safe stairs assenting to the upper loft, while underneath is installed with a child-size desk with multiple storage components. The stairs are compact but perfect for this type of system.
9. Simple ladder system for access to small loft: While this staircase design is more in the mold of a traditional ladder, the use of handrails, its wide tread, and ease of use make this small staircase ideal for access to a free standing loft that is not very high up.
10. Quick access steps up to attic: If you have a small attic hatchway but no realistic way of angling a ladder to fit, you can always widen the hatchway and complete the process with a quick installation of a staircase mounted to the wall, this way you have a long-term solution to the problem of the hazardous ladder maneuvering.