The “Hidden” Places You Can Fit a Stiltz Lift (That You Probably Haven’t Thought Of)

When many Utah homeowners first consider a residential elevator, they immediately hit a mental wall: “I just don’t have the room.” They imagine losing half of their living room or having to build an unsightly addition on the side of their house.

If you’re living in a cozy Millcreek bungalow or a tightly designed townhome in Riverton, space is a premium commodity. But here is the secret—the Stiltz Home Lift was engineered specifically for “impossible” spaces. Because it doesn’t require a bulky shaft or a separate machine room, it can disappear into areas of your home you currently consider “dead space.”

At PLH Home Solutions, we’ve performed hundreds of installations along the Wasatch Front. Here are the five most creative, space-saving locations where we’ve hidden residential lifts.

1. The “Invisible” Closet Install

This is perhaps our most popular “hidden” solution. Many homes have stacked closets—a coat closet on the main floor directly below a bedroom closet on the second floor.

Because the Stiltz Duo footprint is less than 7 square feet, it can often fit entirely inside a standard closet. When the lift is on the other floor, you simply close the closet door, and the lift “disappears” from view. It’s the ultimate way to add a premium accessibility feature without altering the visual flow of your room.

2. The Center of a Spiral Staircase

Do you have a curved or spiral staircase with an empty “eye” in the middle? This is often wasted architectural space. A Stiltz Lift can be installed right through the center of that void.

Instead of looking like medical equipment, the lift becomes a high-end design feature. The clear polycarbonate panels of the lift allow light to pass through, maintaining the open, airy feel of your staircase while providing a much safer way to move between floors.

3. Tucked Into the Pantry

If your kitchen is the heart of your home, you likely spend most of your time there. We have successfully installed lifts within walk-in pantries or adjacent to kitchen islands.

For many seniors, the biggest struggle isn’t just moving themselves—it’s moving groceries from the garage to the kitchen or laundry from the bedroom to the basement. Placing a lift in or near the pantry provides a functional “dumbwaiter” benefit alongside the passenger mobility.

4. The Hallway Corner “Nook.”

Most hallways have a “dead” corner at the end that usually just collects a dusty side table or a floor lamp. Because the Stiltz rails are self-supporting and don’t require a load-bearing wall, we can place the lift in these corner nooks.

Since the lift is shaftless, the hallway still feels wide and open when the car is on the opposite level. You aren’t building a permanent wall that creates a dark, cramped corridor.

5. Through a Slanted Ceiling or Loft

Utah is famous for its mid-century modern architecture and vaulted ceilings. Many traditional elevators can’t handle slanted rooflines because they require a tall, flat “headroom” for the machinery.

The Stiltz motor is housed inside the lift car itself. This means we can often install it into lofts or rooms with pitched ceilings where a standard elevator would be physically impossible to install.