Easy DIY: from lowly ladder to super storage

Sometimes you really just need some extra storage, and this easy DIY turning a ladder to super storage will not only give that, it will also create a lovely focal point in your home!

So often, you end up with a wall or nook in your home that could really be a great storage or display area, but the cost of converting the area has so far prevented you from doing anything about it. The aim of Homeology is to inspire and empower, so I love to show you ways in which you can easily and cost-effectively achieve almost anything in your home. I have done so many projects here, from small face-lifts to whole-house conversions! This post is a project that Margaux and I did for Buco last year. You can click here for the full tutorial.

The brief was really quite simple: create cost-effective storage. And granted, turning a ladder into a shelving unit is nothing new. But by painting it in a new and fresh way, we’ve put a new spin on things.

All you need is a ladder – old or new, a few extra timber battens, wooden planks for the shelves and paint.

First, remove the hardware from one side of the ladder, using a chisel and hammer. The remaining arm will be enough to stabilise the shelf.

Next you will need to add the shelf supports: measure the height of the existing rungs and install a batten on the opposite side of the ladder at the corresponding height.

If your ladder has been made of treated wood, then you’ll first need to prime the ladder before painting it. I painted it in a deep charcoal after the primer had dried.

I painted the shelves in varying colours of blue to create a graded effect. Starting with the lightest colour, I kept adding blue bit by bit until I got the darkest colour. Make sure that you mix enough paint because it’s difficult to get the same shade again if you didn’t!

Once they’ve dried, the shelves can then be screw-fixed to the supports from underneath.