Breathe life into old ladders

From the Resene decorating blog

A spot of DIY furniture re-purposing doesn't have to be a complicated task and can be a fun activity for the entire family.

An upcycled ladder project

To view more of this project see "Ladder display"

As more households focus on living a sustainable lifestyle, re-purposing old furniture or livening up your existing chairs and shelves is an environmentally conscious decision.

If you're after some home decorating inspiration when it comes to breathing life into old furniture, there's certainly no shortage of bold ideas. Reusing old ladders is just one nifty way to add character to your home.

Moving on up

You can give your home a rustic charm by recycling old ladders and turning them into a slender storage option.

Old wooden ladders might be past their day when it comes to clearing out your gutters, but that's not to say they don't have a use.

Provided the step size isn't restrictively small, you can turn these ladders into a makeshift shelf, propped up against the wall of a lounge, reading room or bedroom.

Rustic cream

For a country-cottage feel, use Resene Find-A-Colour to select the perfect shade of cream, such as Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Buttery White, which has warm yellow tones.

Once two coats have completed dried, use sandpaper to remove some of the paint for a worn, weathered look. To avoid paint flaking off over time, apply a clear gloss coat and allow it to dry.

Bold banana split

If your home has a more contemporary feel that could adapt to some bold colours, or you simply want to be more daring, consider brighter colours for your ladder project.

Though ladders are typically associated with plain wooden finishes or brushed metal, an injection of spirited yellow, such as the delectable Resene Banana Split can look fantastic.

However, because you're only painting the ladder, you're not going to overpower the room, as could be the case if you painted your entire living space with a bright shade like this.

Fun for kids

Kids will enjoy having a ladder in their room to stack books on – just make sure they know it's not something to climb on! Make sure you attach the ladder to the wall so that it can't be knocked over.

A playful purple such as Resene Dancing Girl works a charm in children's bedrooms. They could even join in on the painting process, using a complementary shade such as Resene Snap or Resene Tutti Frutti to write their names or add spots and stripes.

Ladders don't just have to be used as a vertical shelf. One way to make your children's room a haven for imaginative adventures is hang a ladder horizontally from the ceiling with chains.

You'll want to pick an exciting colour to paint the ladder first and then weave fake fines or flowers around the rungs.

Once you've hung the ladder from the ceiling, kids have a room that's sure to excite their imaginations. Baskets that balance across multiple rungs can also store winter clothing when it's warmer and summer clothing in the winter.

Colours mentioned in this blog...