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A splash of red transforms a rumpty old ladder into a handy stool or nifty shelves.

Old ladder before repainting

Bright red ladder

Replace dirty old ladder strings with curtain cord in a matching shade. Once scrubbed, old metal hinges can be left exposed for extra character.

You will need

An old wooden ladder or stool
Resene Quick Dry Waterborne Primer Undercoat
1 litre Resene Enamacryl Gloss Waterborne Enamel in a shade of your choice
1-2 medium-sized paintbrushes
Scrubbing brush and cleaner
Medium grade sandpaper

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1 Clean the ladder thoroughly with a scrubbing brush and hot soapy water to remove any dust, grease or cobwebs. Allow to dry. Sand off any loose paint. Don’t worry about making the surface smooth – the imperfections will add to the effect. Scrub metal hinges to remove any flaking metal.

Painting basecoat

Painting topcoat

Painting a red ladder

Step 2 Paint all wooden surfaces with two light coats of Resene Quick Dry Waterborne Primer Undercoat, allowing each coat to thoroughly dry.

Step 3 Finish with two top coats of Resene Enamacryl Gloss Waterborne Enamel. We chose Resene Monza for a really peppy shade of red.

2013

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