Finding the perfect vintage ladder has been on my treasure hunt list of late. Providing both style and chic storage functionality, repurposed ladders can be used from bathrooms to living rooms. If a ladder graces your home in a room other than the garage, I would love to hear about how you have repurposed it.
The unexpeted combination of a construction ladder and a delicate chandelier creates a lovely ambiance via Brocade Home.
No upward ladder climbers here! At Idle Hand Tattoo in San Francisco, science!alex spooted an upcycled ladder turned into an unexpected and quite practical bookshelf.
The creatively talented Maya and her mother created an absolutely intriguing vignette using an old ladder, barn wood, and wire baskets. Even better, you can enjoy the full DIY tutorial at maya*made! I could spend hours exploring all of the vintage treasures artfully displayed on this fantastic upcycled ladder.
With the addition of a few planks, a vintage ladder is repurposed in Real Living into a stylish display piece. So long curiosity cabinets!
Of course, your guests will be delighted with Martha Stewart’s idea of using an antique apple picking ladder as a chic towel holder.
From an older repurposed bathroom post, a bathtub caddy is fashioned with the help of an antique ladder.
Of course, if you find yourself in my shoes, desperately lacking a vintage ladder, then be inspired to make your own. In this image from Christine Churchill’s The Collector’s Eye, the featured ladder could be created with decorative molding or trim, fastened to even two long branches.
16 responses so far ↓
1 Apryl // Jan 12, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I never thought I would ever pine for a ladder, but somehow I do now.. though sadly I haven’t got a vintage apple picking ladder, or a place to put one but lovely photos and ideas, if I ever find an old ladder in need of a new home.
2 Cheryl@cottagefarmvilla // Jan 12, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I am not an owner of a vintage ladder….but I love the idea of it on the wall as a bookcase for a studio! Haven’t seen that one before! Great ideas, thanks for sharing!! ~Cheryl
3 ljcadv // Jan 12, 2009 at 2:41 pm
i love ladders! I wanted to use one for my wedding to hang the escort cards on but I was never able to find one I liked.
4 Krissy // Jan 12, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I love this post! Maybe I should scout the sales to see if I can find a vintage ladder for my studio bookcase… Thanks for the inspiration.
5 Rachel // Jan 12, 2009 at 6:07 pm
That ladder bookshelf is genius! My apartment would not accomodate a ladder, sadly.
6 mayaluna // Jan 12, 2009 at 6:51 pm
You obviously know that I love a good vintage ladder upcycle, and probably suspected that I would enjoy this post. Did you know how insanely happy it would make me? I love each inspiration you chose (thanks for including my mother’s!) and can’t wait to figure out how I can incorporate at least one of those new ideas into MY home! Thanks, Grace! You are magnificent!
7 carol // Jan 12, 2009 at 10:17 pm
what a fantastic post! love them all but my favorites are the horizontal bookcase on the wall and Maya and her mother’s vignette… really ingenious and ‘thinking outside the box’ style, which I love!
8 cindy k // Jan 12, 2009 at 11:07 pm
i love the use of the ladder for the books!
9 Grace // Jan 13, 2009 at 7:04 am
There really are limitless uses for ladders. If you find the right ladder and repurpose it for your home, I would LOVE to see photos!
ljcadv, your idea for using a vintage ladder to hold escort cards is splendid!
Maya, thank you for allowing me to share your mum’s fantastic ladder! I look forward to seeing photos of its most recent displays.
10 Amanda // Jan 13, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Oh my! Now I need to go hunt one down! Im clearing out my craft space and I am in desperat need of a bookself that doesnt take up much (if any) floor space. I adore all of them!
11 Jessica // Jan 13, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Love these ideas. I never thought to repurpose a ladder as a bookshelf, but now I think it is brilliant.
12 gracieK // Jan 14, 2009 at 7:15 am
these pictures are SoooOOOOOoooOOOooOo awesome!!!
13 Anne @ The City Sage // Jan 14, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I’ve had a longtime lust for ladders in interiors. They look so graphic and rustic at the same time. but i think you’d need a fairly expansive space to have one in—i can just see tripping over the darn thing all the time!
14 Diane // Jan 27, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Splendid ideas! I love the idea of using it as a bookcase.
15 Becky // Feb 21, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I love to recycle ladders.And I love ALL the ideas.I have a ladder just the right size to hang in my kitchen across my wall.I am going to put my cookbooks on it!THANK YOU!
16 ebru // Sep 7, 2009 at 10:47 pm
book shelf is fantastic! simple things can be used very different if you just simply think!
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