We’re not a short family, so when we renovated a first-floor half-bath, I wanted to raise the vanity height to 36 in. But we also have a 4-year-old, Max. Rather than rely on one of those little step stools that floats around the bathroom, we collaborated with our cabinetmaker on a pullout step/storage drawer in the kick space beneath the new vanity. Built of 3⁄4-in. FSC-certified maple plywood with heavy-duty slides, the step is mounted high enough to glide in and out but low enough that the drawer front rests on the floor when in use. With a piano hinge at the back and a pull hole in front, the lid lifts to reveal an 8-in.-deep storage well that is perfect for toilet paper and other supplies. The long handle allows the drawer to be opened with a foot, encouraging its use. And though Max won’t always need his stool, we’ll never outgrow our need for storage.
Handy today, handy tomorrow. The built-in step stool in Sophie Piesse’s renovated bathroom helps her son reach the sink. No matter how tall he gets, the stool will never lose its usefulness as a handy storage space.
Photos: courtesy of Sophie Piesse
