Under the Stairs Book Nook #30dayflip

Sue Purdy
by Sue Purdy
$500
4 Days
Medium
We turned an under utilized storage space under our basement staircase into a cozy reading nook.
Here's a photo of the finished nook. We did keep some storage space under the bench for luggage, holiday decorations, etc.
Here is the "Before" pic showing the door intact on the storage area.
After the door was removed, a reciprocating saw was used to take out the wall. The bench was built with 2x4's and plywood for the top. Then lots and lots of drywalling, and puttying.
After
The storage area had some simple shelving, which we kept in place.
An oversize damask wallpaper and a gallery wall showcasing art with a vintage feel was added.
Most of the artwork was printed from pictures I found online. The oversized optometrist's eye chart had to be printed at Walmart, due to its large size.
The shelving was kept in place, and I shopped my home to find matching books, and baskets. All the other items were purchased at thrift stores, with the exception of the pyramid made of sugar cubes, which was a school project of my daughter's.
Check out my blog to see more.
Sue Purdy
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  • Ellen Rice Ziska Ellen Rice Ziska on Jan 25, 2018

    Hi, I love the reading nook, and you mentioned that it has storage underneath. How do you access that storage? Pull up the mattress and plywood? Is there some other access to that area?

    Thank you,

    Ellen

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  • Mim Mim on Sep 16, 2016
    What a creative and useful brainstorm! Inviting and professionally finished. You have a decorator's eye for perfection.
  • Chris Chris on Nov 19, 2016
    I love this idea !!! Brilliant !
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