Under-The-Stairs storage cart.

Art Mulder

Member
Messages
3,383
Location
London, Ontario
Project Build: Under-The-Stairs Rolling cart.

Look elsewhere for “fine woodworking”. This is just a plywood box on wheels!

We have this awkwardly shaped storage area at the foot of the stairs. It's fairly deep, so it's awkward to access the back, and it looks messy. We wanted something better.

One of my goals was cheap/free — trying to mostly just use materials on hand.
Another goal was keep it simple — I did NOT want to take the time for an elaborate built-in
Finally, I wanted it to be completely closed up in the front, so we could hide away the storage.



Here is a rough sketch that I made to guide my build. I decided to make a simple rolling cart, with a large triangular door on the front.


I cannibalized some rollerblades for the wheels. The advantage of rollerblade wheels is that they don't pivot, which is exactly what I want here -- I just want the cart to roll straight in and out.


one side of the cart needed to be low, to fit under the stairs. The other side needed to be high, to help hold and support the front. So I took a piece and cut it in half diagonally to make the ends.


Assembling the box:


Assembled box: The wheels will be mounted in those gaps between the boards.



Drilling holes for wheels


Laying out the big diagonal door. This is a thin 1/8” thick piece of underlay plywood that I had. It is sized 1” narrower in all three dimensions to fit the opening.


The door is too thin on it’s own, so I framed it up by gluing some wood along the edges.

Wheels installed, front door ready to be installed


Finished - closed



If you prefer moving pictures, here is a youtube build video that I put together:

(or, more photos and discussion on my website, link below)
 
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Nice job, Art!

Also, I just got the latest Lee Valley newsletter (via email), and the nesting tables you made - that are featured in the newsletter - sure look good, too! Congrats!
 
Nice job, Art!

Also, I just got the latest Lee Valley newsletter (via email), and the nesting tables you made - that are featured in the newsletter - sure look good, too! Congrats!

I'm gonna have to go back and check out the newsletter. I saw the tables but hadn't noticed they were Art's work. :thumb:
 
I've been looking at under the stairs storage plans and ideas for a while becausae I get so irked that all that good space in my house is just getting wasted. It we DO store anything under there, it's pretty unsightly too, so this is just a shoutout to let you know that I think your idea is great! This is one of the simplest under-stairs storage systems that I've seen so far. It looks a helluva lot more easier to do than some of the others that are floating around the internet and pretty versatile too! Really have to thank you for sharing this idea here.
 
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