Hang it high

Sustainable ideas ❋ Te oranga ō te taiao, from Thrive magazine

Short of bedroom storage? Stylist Melissa Marriott turns a tired old ladder into a stylish clothes rack and paints it in soft Resene pinks to give it an up-to-the-minute feel.

A stylish clothes rack made from an old ladder
Learn how to make this stylish clothes rack!

What you need

An old ladder or two small ladders
Timber for the shelf – we used three pieces of scrap timber plank, each about 1.2m in length
32mm dowel, at least 1.3m long
2 x 32mm pipe clips
Resene dropcloth
Saw
Resene sandpaper
Resene MacGyver all-purpose paintbrush
Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat
Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel in your chosen colours (we used Resene Half Sauvignon and Resene Cosmos)
Drill, screws and screwdriver

Supplies used

Stylist's notes

To maximise hanging space add a second rail at a lower level. For safety, we recommend attaching the rack to the wall.

Method

Protect the floor with a Resene dropcloth.
Use a saw to cut the wooden ladder in half; skip this step if you have two ladders. (A)
Use a saw to cut wood planks to 1.2m (or longer if desired).
Use a saw to cut the dowel to 1.3m (or longer if desired). (B)
Sand all pieces and pipe clips. (C-D)

Steps - Photo A
Photo (A)

Steps - Photo B
Photo (B)

Steps - Photo C
Photo (C)

Steps - Photo D
Photo (D)

Prime all pieces with Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat. (E-F)
Paint all pieces in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel in your chosen Resene colours. (G-I)
Drill pilot holes, then use the screwdriver to screw the shelves to the lower ladder rungs. (J-K)
Position one pipe clip in the centre of the top rung on each ladder, drill pilot holes and screw into place. (L)
Slide poles through the pipe clips, ensuring the pipe clips fit the dowel snugly.