Take Design to New Heights: 21 Ladder Looks We Love

Give your storage and decor a step up with these gorgeous vertical solutions.

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September 04, 2017

By: Maria Conti and Chelsea Faulkner

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Ladder of Lights

Think beyond the basic lamp and light up your sleep spot with a chic ladder draped with a string of antique-style bulbs. Ambient lighting has never been so stylish (or cozy!).

Built-In Bookshelf Ladder

Slate blue built-ins are made twice as beautiful (and accessible) by the addition of this sliding library ladder. For those of you that are lucky enough in life to have built-in bookcases in your home, we insist that you invest in a sliding ladder to transform your space into one of scholarly sophistication. More Swoon-Worthy Home Libraries >>

From: Harmony Weihs

Sweet + Chic

Add a dash of cozy style to your space and keep hand-knit throws within reach by situating a simple, wood blanket ladder in your favorite family gathering spots. Oh, and be sure keep a handful of extra pillows nearby for extra-snuggly movie nights.

Kitchen Cabinets Within Reach

Love the library ladder look? Bring it into your kitchen with a sleek, sliding library ladder. Reaching the tip-top shelf and grabbing that cake mixer has never been easier, or more stylish!

From: Regina Bilotta

Playful Storage

How fun is this sprightly storage ladder for this playroom, as seen on HGTV’s Fixer Upper? Replicate the look in a kids’ room and stock your ladder unit with plush pillows, a few bulky toys and an array of reading options. Bonus points for books that boast cool, colorful cover art.

OTT Organizer

Lean a ladder behind your toilet for a stylish, small-space storage solution. This rustic, wooden ladder adds oodles of farmhouse charm to this space. Even better? It stores the ever-important and oh-so-necessary TP and serves as a hand-towel holder.

Attic Ladder-Turned-Bookcase

Talk about coming full circle! This reclaimed attic ladder was turned into a bookcase. Obsessed? You’re not alone. This approach serves as a perfect, mini-library for apartment dwellers, loft-livers and the general bibliophile population at large.

From: Landing Design

Corner Nook

Have a tricky corner in your home that you just don’t know what to do with? Transform it into the coziest little reading nook you ever did see with the help of a lovely ladder shelf, cozy wicker armchair and decorative basket for storing extra pillows and throws. 3 More Ways to Fill an Empty Corner >>

From: Alison Jennison

Kitchen Essentials

Not enough storage in your tiny kitchen? Enlist the help of a ladder shelf to organize extra dishes, mugs, stemware and more. It's also a great place to put pretty indoor plants on display!

Statement Shelves

Two tall ladders plus five ultra-long slabs of wood work to create the ultimate ladder shelving of our dreams. The ladders display a curated collection of books, sculptures, and plants, filling this living space with personality and meaningful style.

From: Blackband Design

Whimsical Display

Tapered and tiered, we dub the white ladder unit pictured here as "all-things-wonderful" for this coral and turquoise girls’ room. Consider using a similar, white ladder in your home for a design that feels both fresh and timeless. 20 Bookshelf Styling Tips >>

From: Mollie Openshaw

Cozy Blanket Storage

This long, lean ladder makes for lovely blanket storage, don’t you think? Take note from this design and make a grand, gorgeous statement in your living room with a ladder that is floor-to-ceiling in height. Doing so will draw the eye upward, creating an illusion of taller ceilings.

From: Paige Morse

Industrial & Industrious

A chic, industrial-style pipe ladder pulls double duty as both stylish vignette and accessible storage for mail, books, magazines and more.

DIY Drying Rack

Doing the laundry just got a bit more enjoyable thanks to this clever ceiling-mounted clothes drying rack. All you need is a wooden ladder and some supplies, and you can put the fifth wall in your laundry room to work. Get the step-by-step instructions >>

Attic Ascension

Long gone are the days of ugly pull-down attic ladders. Access overhead storage with a chic ladder you can leave on display year-round.

From: Allison Lind

Add Warmth

All white and super bright is beautiful, sure. Sometimes, though, all-white spaces come off stark and sterile. Our solution? The rustic wildcard. Break up the white-on-white with a warm, wooden ladder as a towel rack and add small wicker or rattan pieces as complements.

From: Lexi Grace Design

Glowing Garden

Love the fairy garden look? Bring it to life in your own backyard by training creeping ivy around an old wooden ladder, then weaving twinkling outdoor lights throughout. Finish the vignette with handheld antique lanterns and a staggered container garden of seasonal wildflowers.

Towel Storage

Carry the blanket ladder look from the family room to the bathroom, swapping out cozy throws for extra towels your guests are sure to appreciate!

From: Denise LaVey

Magazines on Display

Extra magazines cluttering your coffee table? Give them a place of prominence (and tidy up the mess) by rearranging them in a vertical ladder display. This practical organizer also works great as a guest bedroom or AirBnB feature — fill with around-town guides and magazines that feature the best places to eat, shop and see in your city, as well as some light before-bed reading.

Extra-Decorative Ladder

Give your blanket ladder a stylish boost by trimming it with decorative baubles like this pretty pom-pom.

Hang it Horizontally

Reimagine a basic ladder by hanging it horizontally and using it as a bookcase, like the one seen here from HGTV’s Good Bones. This will add texture and interest to your walls, offer stylish storage and elongate your space all at the same time.

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Take Design to New Heights: 21 Ladder Looks We Love

Related To:

Ladder of Lights

Built-In Bookshelf Ladder

Sweet + Chic

Kitchen Cabinets Within Reach

Playful Storage

OTT Organizer

Attic Ladder-Turned-Bookcase

Corner Nook

Kitchen Essentials

Statement Shelves

Whimsical Display

Cozy Blanket Storage

Industrial & Industrious

DIY Drying Rack

Attic Ascension

Add Warmth

Glowing Garden

Towel Storage

Magazines on Display

Extra-Decorative Ladder

Hang it Horizontally

Shop This Look

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