Every year January gives me the motivation to get things cleared out and spruced up. As I've pottered about the place this week, cleaning and tidying, I wanted to jot down all the ways you can get the most out of what is frequently the least utilised space in the house - under the stairs. Making this space work depends on where in your home your staircase is located, so I've split my ramblings into some rough areas.

For me, Autumn is the season of clearing out and organising. Something about the colder weather gives me the urge to sort, file and declutter. The quest for a bowl of something warming, a roaring fire in the log burner and a fluffy jumper seem to lead me down a path of rearranging our entire home in a flurry, so this post looks at storage options when space is limited.