There are days when I think my children are trying to scatter everything they own across the floor in some mad attempts to stake out new territory. They honestly do understand the need to clean up, but I think they really just prefer having things out where they can see them.

I need to come up with ideas for more storage and display space in each of their rooms. And those aren’t the only areas of my home that need help.

A browse through Pinterest revealed a few ideas. Some of my favourite ideas repurposed items into shelving:  skateboards as shelves, wooden boxes hung on walls, and dresser drawers turned sideways and attached to walls.

One idea I particularly loved was using old wooden ladders as shelving. I saw them used as bookshelves, display shelves, towel racks, outdoor garden trellis, and pot racks in kitchens. They had a nice, weathered look to them, and were a nice balance of display and utility.

I’ve got your imagination going, haven’t I? What room popped into your mind as you read? I’m pretty sure I could incorporate this idea into any room so it’s definitely on my list to explore. I could see doing something more weathered in a kitchen or outside, then looking at a more finished or even brightly coloured one in a child’s room.

Where might you find a wooden ladder? Try your local Used.ca site and see what you come up with. I found these on UsedVictoria.com and they would work nicely for a few of the ideas I have in mind:

And here are some ideas that got me inspired to actually do it in my own home:

Lighting over a patio table

Book display and storage

Blanket rack to display quilts

A frame for lighting

And if you can’t quite picture how the ideas would look, here’s an article exploring using ladders as décor even further.

7 Unique Ways to Decorate Using a Ladder

What room in your house could use a little extra personality?

Useful links:

Search your local Used.ca site in the Workplace>Tools category for ladders.