HGTV's 2025 Smart Home Upgraded The Under-Stairs Storage Space With One Simple Idea

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If you constantly refresh HGTV's website for Smart Home updates, you're in the right place. We love this annual project because it's always a source of bold design inspiration and mind-blowing adaptations of home tech trends. For example, HGTV's 2024 Smart Home used a design trend that lets in the light: floor-to-ceiling windows. But what caught our eye in the 2025 Smart Home, located in San Antonio, Texas, was a smaller but no less brilliant (pun intended) detail: brightly-lit under-stair storage.

If your home has stairs, you know the struggle. That dead under-stair space is often awkward, dark, and seems to resist every single attempt to spruce it up. There are lots of ways to cleverly repurpose unused under-stair space, but it can still be tricky to make the area seem welcoming and warm. Adding light brings instant brilliance and warmth to the space, not to mention making it easier to see what's stored there. Let's break down how to create this same look under your stairs.

There are a lot of lights out there, so how can you choose the best ones for your home? LED strip lights, like the Govee White LED Strip Lights, may be your best bet. Why? They're easy to install with the adhesive backing, don't create a lot of heat (lowering potential fire risk), and use less energy than traditional bulbs. Most LED strip lights can also be cut to size, making it easy to install them in current or future under-stairs storage spaces without a lot of effort.

Installation is so quick that it can be done on a weekend morning between that last cup of coffee and a late lunch. Simply clean the area of dirt and dust, measure and cut the light strip to size, and install. There are some common mistakes everyone makes when installing LED strip lights, like cutting in the wrong place, so make sure to check the manufacturer's instructions first. Then plug in and enjoy your newly-lighted under-stairs storage.

Under-cabinet lights, like the Lightbiz LED Closet Light, are another option. These are rechargeable motion-sensored lights and may be better for those who have multiple separated cubbies in their space. However, they are also likely slightly bulkier than strip lights, so check the measurements first against the size of your storage area to make sure it won't take up too much space.