# Step-Concealed Storage These Tansu Chest Stairs Reveal a Clever Use of Every Nook and Cranny By Amelia Roblin | Published 2012-02-02 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tansu-chest-stairs References: [treehugger](http://www.treehugger.com/interior-design/clever-design-hides-drawers-under-stairs.html) & [33bridges](http://www.33bridges.com/2012/01/31/drawers-inspired-by-tansu-step-chest/) A balance must be struck between creating enough room to breathe in a home and ensuring that no wasted spaces become a product of such plans. It's strategies like the incorporation of Tansu Chest Stairs which demonstrate how to optimize the useable areas within a house. That tricky gap beneath the staircase can be a difficult one to maximize, typically offering an [oddly shaped crawlspace for the storage](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tamo) of infrequently-used possessions. Designers Damara Ortolani Sisti and Megan Moynihan have come up with a much more resourceful solution, inspired by the Japanese Tansu Step-Chest or the Kaidan-Dansu Chest. In Oyster Works' Coastal Cottage on Rhode Island, these Tansu Chest Stairs emerge as [unexpected drawers beyond the wall](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/folding-shelf) that encloses the stairway, each nestled within pairs of treads and risers. Photo Credits: [Oyster Works](http://www.oysterworks.net/coastal-cottage) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.7/10 - Popularity: 51% | Activity: 82% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Step-concealed Storage:** Innovative use of small spaces can be a disruptive innovation opportunity for furniture and interior design industries. - **Tansu Chest Stairs:** The use of alternative cultural designs such as the Tansu Step-Chest can provide a unique selling point for furniture companies. - **Nook and Cranny Optimization:** Maximizing the utilization of every corner of a house can be an opportunity for construction and architecture firms. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Furniture:** Creating space-saving furniture designs can be a lucrative market within the furniture industry. - **Interior Design:** Incorporating alternative design styles can be a disruptive innovation opportunity for the interior design industry. - **Construction:** Innovating home construction to maximize the use of spaces can be a disruptive innovation opportunity for the construction industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Dual-Sided Storage Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bond-stool-system.md) - [Kids Modern Step Stool](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/totto-step.md) - [Minimal Shoe Rack Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tokyo-shoe-rack.md) - [Timbered Passage Stair Extensions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wooden-annex.md) - [Apartment-Inspired Drawer Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/apt-drawers.md) - [Multifunctional Layered Furniture Pieces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/n15-layered-furniture.md) - [Storage Box-Transformed Furniture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chunks-and-blocks.md) - [Bold Architectural Renovations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flat-iron-house.md) - [Reimagined Traditional Library Ladders](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/step-by-step-ladder.md)