Fill it with water and add a fountain. :-)

Rock garden, Japanese raked garden, low light plant atrium, litter box, LOL! No water - will ruin the wood unless you replace it with something that can tolerate moisture.

Three big leafy plants, all different heights in big containers. Maybe some river rocks.

It has a concrete floor in that space. There are 4 light receptacles on the wall under the stairs. We have one child (almost 2 years old). Our taste is modern mixed with traditional. We were thinking to use large succulents with smooth stones in this space Also. But also want to think out of the box.

This house was built by a professional golfer in 1983, and is located on a PGA golf course called Oak Tree in Edmond, Oklahoma. It was one of 5 original show homes. We are remodeling the house and have lived here for 3 months.

I like the idea of a Japanese garden or potted plants in river rock. If you go for river rock you can use filler first befor you lay the rock to minimize weight and cost.

By the way, have you seen the interiors of the other five houses? They might have a similiar design. Also, you could look up the architect and see if he did other houses with this feature.

If you go with the succulents, you could add some lighting and a piece of sculpture.

koy pond

I like all of the above, now I am serious, so don't laugh…for the next few years how about a sand box? You can get bags of clean sand at Toy's R Us. Every playmate will want to come to your house!!!

If you have a dog, make it a tidy little doggy area/bed/toys. Dogs like to have a central locale from which to guard their pack. From more of a design stand point, I like the smooth rock/plant idea.

Fab idea Judy! The toddler will love it. Get white sand...so when you want to entertain, take out the bucket/shovel and rake beautifully with large rocks for the zen garden. You could also (when entertaining) add a variety of candles (large and medium) for a "fire" garden.

Thank you or the ideas. I may go with a succulent garden with a sculpture because of the water drainage (not sure how I will irrigate). Good thing succulents don't need a lot of water.

K, GET READY CAUSE I'LL JUST BE FRANK.
Is it just me, am I the only person that thinks that's ridiculous?
How about nothing, there is no need to try and put lipstick on a pig!!!
Remove the rock, fix the floor and pretend it never happened before your company shows up. If funds permit at this time. Contact a Custom Stair and Railing Co. to see if the weight can be supported by anything else and why is there balusters against the wall???????? I actually wouldn't waste much time thinking about what to do I'd have it replaced with a decent staircase.

Friends of mine have this - lots of big plants like palms etc. with a small in-pot fountain that echos throughout the first floor. Its nice and peaceful setting if you don't have bladder issues!

Friends of mine have this - lots of big plants like palms etc. with a small in-pot fountain that echos throughout the first floor. Its nice and peaceful setting if you don't have bladder issues!

HI -- This is such a dated feature , so I would get rid of the stones and level the floor and put more of the chevron wood floors or a black slat tile or a nice limestone . Then I would place a large garden Stone Budha or a large tree root sculpture or a big rustic old looking olive pot or urn , something simple and interesting. That space won't hold water because the stone wall is not all the way around and I myself would not want to bother with lots of plants or a sand box - not with a small child running around and spreading sand everywhere. So I think you should keep it simple and easy care and elegant.

It's a very dated concept. Close it all off and line the outside with bookshelves or a bar http://houzz.com/photos/1079998

If you want to go retro you could do The Brady Bunch look!! :)

If you need extra storage, this is an underutilized space. The ground level near the stairs can have a cabinet with pullouts. If you live in country -- can house ski clothing, scarves, boots, mittens. If you live in the city -- can house shoes, boots, mittens, scarves. If you like to play games; it can store games. before turning it into something which requires drainage and maintenance, consider how it can work for you. If you are set on having plants somewhere near there, you can build a wall hanging with sedum. Needs just to be sprayed and trimmed once in a while. Just thinking of useful and beautiful. we can have both! :=) or you can just have a bookcase built to the outer area and relax about having the empty area in the center. A furniture piece would help but may be costly. If you go green under there, low level garden. Herbs!

The rock is a little bit hard. Can you have the rock faced with another material? You could have a little house built under there for the child. Would take care of those electric outlets though. Cover them with flat plates. I will look for links.

The child nook; Could be very inviting! Have it designed for shelving so once he/she no longer likes the little room, you can use it for storage as mentioned above. Use great wood though, no splinters.

go here with your partner and scroll through all the ideas. It covers most of the ideas I am talking about. You'll get a better idea of what works for your family. If not really in budget now, can save for it. Have fun looking and giggling at some of the ideas....
http://www.homedit.com/60-under-stairs-storage-ideas-for-small-spaces/

4 walls and a door and it's a bedroom for harry potter.

Hi,
You could try make a storage spec with it. I will send you is ok.

What about this pic. Let me know what you think.

Did anyone notice that the last response to this was in 2012?