11 Dead Spaces In Your Home You Should Take Advantage Of (& DIY Ways To Do It)

Every home has its "dead spaces" — those awkward areas that you don't know what to do with. It can be a weirdly shaped alcove, a narrow hallway, or an empty landing. The default is to leave these spots bare, but that doesn't do your home any good. With a bit of creativity and planning you can transform dead spaces and help them reach their full potential. We've identified some common dead spaces found in many homes, and some ideas on how to improve them.

The best way to take advantage of dead space is to create an area for storage or décor (a lot of the time, you can even do both). The ideas on this list can help you fill these empty gaps in your home to make your space more functional and stylish. That empty space under the stairs can become a cozy nook or a hardworking storage area. With the right solutions, landings no longer have to be bare, and your bathroom probably has some spots that could be put to practical purposes. Making use of dead spaces goes beyond just adding utility; filling these blank areas can also make your home look more welcoming and lived-in. As home nerds, the prospect of unlocking extra space in your existing abode got the House Digest team so excited that we compiled a master list of methods; spanning the spectrum from plug-and-play products to DIY projects. So buckle up for an absolute boatload of ideas to take advantage of dead spaces and elevate your home's practicality and charm.

In many homes, there's enough space under the stairs to turn the area into something useful. You can repurpose the space under the stairs to suit a variety of uses, depending on your needs and how much room is available. Two of our favorite options are to transform it into a cozy seating nook or a useful storage area. Items like free-standing shelves, console tables, dressers, side tables, and armchairs are renter-friendly furniture options to use in this space. To create a seating nook, choose a comfortable chair and a side table, setting them up similarly to this photo. We love a papasan chair for this type of nook, like the World Menagerie Orndorff Upholstered Accent Chair for $229.99 from Wayfair.

When it comes to adding storage, you have lots of options. Add a custom built-in cabinet under the stairs to take the most advantage of storage. If you don't want to build a storage unit from scratch, it's possible to create one using the IKEA KALLAX unit as the base. For those who prefer open storage, add shelves to the wall. You can build your own DIY floating shelves or buy various options from online retailers, like the top-selling LACK wall shelf for $24.99 from IKEA or the Songmics floating shelves for $25.99 from Amazon. You can even combine the seating nook and storage ideas and install floating shelves behind your chairs to really maximize this space.

You might also be able to do more with the space underneath your kitchen cabinets and shelves. Installing the right accessories in this area (between the upper cabinets and countertop) can add so much function to your kitchen. It's common to place items on the counter, but most times, there's still an unused gap beneath the upper cubbies. Fill this dead space to make the most use of it. 

A simple renter-friendly option is to use under-shelf baskets to double up on kitchen storage. A product like the Simple Houseware Under Shelf Basket costs $14.87 from Amazon and slides right under a shelf or the bottom section of a cabinet. But if you are able to mount something, a hanging rail can be even more useful (and it looks nice too). Install a rail to the bottom of the cabinet or directly to the wall space. You can then use TikTok's hack to store extra coffee mugs on the rail by adding a few hooks. You can also use these to hang other items like hand towels, cooking accessories, baskets, and even pots and pans if the rail is secure enough. Alternatively, a wall-mounted towel rack can also increase kitchen storage. For a more substantial renovation, the area between your upper cabinets and kitchen counters is also the perfect place to create extra storage by installing an appliance garage. If hiding your appliances is the goal, the roll-front TITTEBO cabinet for $199 from IKEA makes a hidden appliance compartment that's relatively easy to install. 

Don't shy away from storing items up high. You can place pieces on often-skipped storage spots like the top of kitchen cabinets, tall hutches, and tall bedroom wardrobes. If you mix in decorative bits and bobs, this dead space doubles nicely as décor too. The top of these furniture pieces can function similarly to open shelving, so it's possible for it to look very stylish if you set up the area nicely. Storing items up high, almost reaching the ceiling, gives a room a homey and inviting look. This photo is a perfect example, with pretty rustic weaved baskets on top of a dining room hutch.

Of course, you'll want to use this spot to store less-used items as it can be a hassle to take stuff down. We've rounded up some ideas for decorating above your kitchen cabinets, and similar to when you're styling shelving, you can get creative. Opt for the usual decorations, like vases and knickknacks. Plants with trailing leaves can add greenery to a room. If you want an extra cozy look, use the top of cabinets and hutches as an extra bookshelf. To take full advantage of the storage space, use baskets to hide clutter. Choose a basket with structure, like the Tava Handwoven Utility Basket for $79 from Pottery Barn (for a cheaper alternative, try the LABBSAL Basket for $21.99 from IKEA). Structured baskets with handles are easy to grab from these high spaces. Lastly, you can also look into creating double-stacked kitchen cabinets for extra concealed storage. If dimensions decree, you may even be able to hack a BILLY bookcase ($39 at IKEA) by mounting it on its side above your existing uppers and installing doors.

It's not too difficult to convert an unfinished attic into a usable space, and the payoff is well worth it for what you gain in room. Depending on its size, you can use a finished attic for anything from seasonal storage to a guest bedroom. If you're only utilizing it as a storage space, it doesn't need to be fully finished, making this idea even more flexible. The room just needs decent ventilation so items don't get damaged, and proper flooring and a light source so you can safely move around to access stored items.

Once you've established your attic is suitable, it's easy to DIY a storage space. The simplest (no-build) way is to add a heavy-duty shelving system, like the Sterilite Shelving Unit for $76.99 from Amazon — it has ventilated shelves to make sure items stay dry. If you have the know-how, you can build custom shelves to suit your space and needs. Build a wall-mounted shelving system or peruse these DIY closet shelves to outfit an attic space. Before moving stuff upstairs, just keep in mind there are some items you shouldn't store in a loft space.

It's such a waste to leave an alcove empty; they can have so much character when you dress them up. There's lots of room for creativity when you're working with a recessed space, and what you can do starts with the size. Small alcoves can be transformed with simple shelves to create storage and decorating space like in this photo. If you can't mount shelves, a small chest of drawers or hutch is a good renter-friendly alternative. Larger alcoves can be upgraded into a seating area or office nook. Tuck an armchair or bench into the alcove for the former, and a small desk into it for the latter.

We've rounded up various stylish alcove shelving ideas to take advantage of this sometimes-awkward area. Floating shelves always look lovely in this type of space. If you're not sure where to start with the project, you can shop for custom-sized walnut floating shelves, starting at $180 from UltraShelf. A more affordable shelving alternative is to go for an IKEA system, like the height-adjustable BOAXEL shelving unit starting at $80 from IKEA. 

Is your alcove too small for shelving? If you're wondering why older homes often have very small decorative alcoves, these dinky nooks used to house landline telephones. Instead of leaving them bare and disused, fill the space with faux candles, a vase with flowers, or even a vintage-inspired landline phone to call back to its origins. Something like the TelPal Antique Phone costs $42.99 from Amazon looks so charming (it's functional too, if you've kept a landline connection).

If you have a hallway in your home, you might be worried about cluttering it up with furniture. However, you can (and should!) take advantage of the zone. To do so, think of ways to use the area along each wall, but without eating up too much of the walking space. There are slim console tables and storage units designed for these tight zones. They create usable surfaces for decorations on top, are the perfect place to make a catch-all area near a front door — and make the hallway look less plain. Combine slim furniture units with lighter wall colors, good lighting, and mirrors to make a narrow hallway feel wider.

Looking for some ideas to upgrade your narrow hall? We've rounded up some of IKEA's best shoe cabinets, several of which are slim enough to suit these tighter spaces. Many are wall-mounted though, so if you're in a rental, a better option is a narrow console table. We like the Plank+Beam Modern Console table ($138.14 from Amazon) if you're looking for a wood option. Or, a more modern-looking metal pick is the Slim Console Table starting at $299 from Room and Board. There are a lot of different style and dimension options out there, so with perseverance, you should be able to find one that fits your hallway and aesthetic. Alternatively, if you don't want to sacrifice any floor space, you can still take advantage of a narrow hallway by adding wall-mounted hooks or a simple floating shelf to create a super skinny console with a mirror above it. 

If you have a small bathroom, you might feel like you're always fighting for better storage and organization. Consider the dead spaces in your bathroom, no matter how small they may seem. The gap beside a toilet or sink might fit a slim storage cart. A window ledge might just be wide enough to fit an organizer. Very few people take advantage of the area above their toilets, which is a great place to install shelves or a storage unit.

With no mounting required, there are lots of over-the-toilet shelf options for renters and homeowners alike. We like the Mid-Century Over-The-Toilet shelf for $399 from West Elm because it looks so elegant. It's pricey though; something like the FRÖSJÖN toilet shelf costs $44.99 from IKEA and is just as useful for those on a budget. There are also plenty of slim storage cart options available so you can fill empty areas. The Spacelead Slim Storage cart is a highly-rated and affordable pick for $20.99 on Amazon. To improve organization and appearance, you can try some DIY bathroom storage ideas to hide toilet paper (we particularly love the IKEA TRONES toilet paper storage hack that requires minimal DIY work). If you don't have any free floor or counter space at all, there's probably an area of bare wall where you can add a hanging hook. It can even be as simple as attaching a suction cup hook to a mirror or shower wall, like the HangerSpace Suction Cup Hooks for $6.39 on Amazon.

Do you have an old fireplace that's collecting dust? Bring it roaring back to life by incorporating it into your décor. This idea works for old-fashioned open fireplaces that are out of commission. We've rounded up a few ways to repurpose an unused fireplace before, and one of our favorites is to turn it into décor. Old-fashioned fireplaces are just plain charming and they're almost always designed to catch your eye, especially if there is a decorative mantle.

Before you start styling, there are some DIY steps to make the fireplace suitable. Make sure to properly clean the fireplace first. If there are any burn marks, you can clean the fireplace bricks with baking soda or dish soap to restore them to their former glory. These agents are also suitable for cleaning stone fireplaces. If you're committed to never using the hearth for a blaze again, seal off the chimney to prevent moisture and critters from coming in. Then, adding décor is the easy part. Treat the space like a small alcove and add decorations like a large vase, potted plants, or stacked firewood, similar to this photo. If the space feels too large, you can add a very small shelving unit or shelf riser to separate the area or add height to your decorations. An expandable riser like the UrHomey Shelf Organizer costs $29.99 from Amazon and makes it possible to fit the surface to the width of your fireplace.

Don't lose out on the precious extra floor space that a landing can provide. You can essentially treat an empty landing like an extra corner of any room. Even the smallest landings can have enough space to add utility. Following along the lines of this picture, you can add a shelf, wardrobe, dresser, or wooden chest for extra storage. If something doesn't fit nicely in your bedroom or other upstairs rooms, check if it will fit in the landing instead. Even if you don't have much room to work with, you could place a freestanding mirror in the landing so you can check your outfit before going down the stairs.

If you've got room to work with, you can also take a cue from Joanna Gaines and create an upstairs landing seating area with some sofas or chairs. An armchair set can look inviting in this smaller area and make a conversation nook. An option like the Sand & Stable Esmeralda Upholstered Armchairs (the set of two is $460 from Wayfair) are pretty and fairly compact so they won't encroach too much into the walking path. For a roomier space, an alternative for homes with children is to create a small play area. This idea is especially appealing if you don't have a playroom, provided the kids are old enough to understand stair safety. Since there isn't a door, you can delineate the play space with a rug or playmat. A product like the Little Nomad Play Mat from The House of Noa starts at $129 and resembles a stylish area rug.

If your crawlspace is unfinished, it's no surprise that it doesn't feel like a usable area, especially if it's filled with dust and cobwebs. But a finished crawl space can make for an extremely cozy nook that's perfect for children or adults (depending on its size). Follow the example of this video from @3weekstolove to finish a crawl space. If you don't feel comfortable working with insulation or drywall, this is a job you can outsource. Then, accessorize or decorate it to suit your tastes.

Of course, a crawlspace can also be used for storage, and organization is easy to come by with a few shelves. If you're working with a slanted ceiling, a stepped unit like the TROFAST storage combination, which costs $143.99 from IKEA, might be a good fit. If you're making a seating area, it will likely be for the kids (not many people have a crawl space large enough for adults). In this case, add toys and kid-friendly furniture to the area. In narrow crawl spaces or those with short ceilings, that might just be something like a dollhouse and a short bookshelf or toy chest. A floor couch can provide a spot for relaxing in these areas that usually have low ceilings. An option like the Flip Floor Sleeper Sofa starts at $549 from West Elm and is suitable for both kids and adults; it's also a piece you can pull out of the crawlspace if you have overnight guests.

The area behind doors is such a common dead space that it's easy to miss just because of how ubiquitous it is. Think about the unused space behind all the doors in your home. Why not treat this area like an extra wall? In the past we've talked about the best over-the-door storage solutions for every space; we simply love this idea because it's so easy and renter-friendly.

Over-the-door hooks are the simple choice for adding utility. An option like the DecoBros Over-The-Door hook costs $15.47 from Amazon and provides lots of hanging space. Or, another popular choice is to opt for shoe storage with pockets, like the Gorilla Grip Shoe Organizer for $14.99 from Amazon. But there are various products out there to make behind-the-door storage even more useful. If you don't like the look of hooks, the Honey-Can-Do Towel Rack ($24.55 from Amazon) has hanging bars instead. For smaller items, a product like the ClosetMaid 8-Tier Basket Organizer is a bit pricier at $67.76 from Amazon, but it has built-in storage baskets. If you're looking for more space for hangers, try the Whitmor Over-The-Door Hanger Holder, which costs $7.99 from Amazon and has space to hold 10 hangers or hooks. It simply doesn't make sense not to take advantage of the space behind a door when there are so many practical products.