Upcycled ladder ideas for every room in your home

Ladders work really hard around the house and garden and usually end up looking beaten and bruised at the end of their life cycle.  This is exactly when you grab that old thing and give it a second chance by incorporating it as a playful but useful element in the home.

We have sourced very inspiring ideas for every room in your house – from the entrance hall to the patio and all areas in between!

First impressions

Make a bold statement by installing a ladder horizontally against a focal wall and giving it a lick of paint. The spars then can be used to hang up coats, and storage boxes up top come in handy as donation boxes or to store scarves and hats.

Using ladders vertically like in the picture on the right emphasize vertical lines and really help in areas with low ceilings to create the illusion of height. Just look at the lovely textures on them from years of hard work – that kind of look can’t be faked!

vtwonen.nl whatilikeaboutthelittlecouple

Light it up

Twist a string of fairy lights around the one side of a ladder displayed in your living room. This will create just the right amount of ambient lighting when wanting to tone it down at a dinner party or when having a romantic glass of wine after a long day.

The empty spars are also the perfect place to keep throws for snuggling up on the couch during the cooler evenings.

showhome.nl hviit

Help in the kitchen

Shorter V-shaped ladders work great as occasional storage for crockery and glassware at informal dinner parties. Simply slide planks in between the spars to create surface space.

Display your inherited (or thrift shop found!) tea towels and dish cloths on a straight ladder by leaning it against the wall. Fold the linen up neatly to display the patterns.

Suspend a straight ladder horizontally from the ceiling above your kitchen island to hang pots and pans from. This really is a great cupboard space-saver and adds a country feel to a kitchen.

fleaingfrance frenchlarkspur decoratingyoursmallspace.com

Bedroom bliss

Ladders make the perfect bedroom furniture when used as a modern alternative to the bedside table. The spars become magazine racks and if hooks are added you can even hang clothing on them. Add a clip-on bedside lamp to the ladder and you have a sleek loft style look.

If you slide planks through the spars of a tall V-shaped ladder (like we did with the short one in the kitchen) you create great shoe storage. With most of us having way to much shoes it’s great to put your collection on display!

Alternatively you can add a rail to the top so it becomes a clothing rail station. This works great in spare bedrooms when guests are staying over and cupboard space is limited.

vtwonen.nl myscandinavianhome.com bloglovin.com apairandasparediy.com

Let’s play snakes and ladders

Installing a straight ladder horizontally against a wall creates great bookshelf space in a kid’s room. Use the top of the ladder to display toys or inherited items that you want to keep out of harm’s way for a few years.

Keep the ladder raw for a rugged feel like in the picture on the left or paint it in a fun, high gloss colour to contrast with the wall colours. This really makes a statement, because kids rooms are meant to be fun!

mommo-design

Wash day

Ladders come in very handy when your folded washing need to sit in the laundry a bit before finding their way to the closet. It also gives you space to hang left over hangers – how very convenient!

midwestliving.com bloglovin.com

Work it

This is the more grown-up version of the bookshelf we featured above in the kid’s room. Add clip-on study lamps to add extra effect to the quirky shelf. Alternatively you can add some industrial elements, like hanging the ladder from pipes like in the bottom right picture. Want to make your own pipe shelf? Look at the DIY Germarie did in her husband’s office.

itsy-bits-and-pieces Pinterest.com

Pretty patio

Add a ladder to your patio to display your beloved collection of plants. I love the wire baskets filled with succulents on the left. But that’s just because succulents are the only plants that I seem to be able to keep alive!

onekingslane.com shelterness.com

I got so inspired after writing this post that you will soon see a DIY ladder project on the blog. Hope you feel the same way!

Happy styling,