When you live in a small area, you can't afford to have redundant space. I pulled out the old broom cupboard under the stairs and designed this huge storage unit to go in its place. 

Our little-used serving dishes and vases are concealed behind the books. The TV hides the set-top boxes and sits on top of a cupboard full of toys and below this is a row of deep drawers for DVDs and the girls' endless stationary, colouring books and stickers sets. Whilst the door on the end has a whole filing cabinet inside it.

I also pulled down the ceiling on our single storey dining room to reveal the roof space beyond. As well as an attractive feature, the beams provide valuable extra space for books and are proving a useful place to stick those large scale models that the kids bring home from school from time to time. I'm starting a wicker basket collection up there too for my knitting and craft kit. And I'm on the look out for a battered leather suitcase and a traditional wooden sledge to finish off the still life. 

Have you made use of any hidden spaces in your home?