Ok, I will admit it, I was not a huge fan of this house when me moved in… it’s kind of quirky (yea, I know, much like me) and just so… BEIGE. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’m just not a fan of beige for me..especially “this” shade. I just found it kind of depressing. Luckily I have been able to work through it by designing some spaces in it and am starting to see this place for the treasure that it is. I couldn’t get over how much an entry way transformation was needed though….
This page includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase using the link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
This post was sponsored by HomeRight. They provided me product to try and tell you about. It made the project completion so much faster, and I am incredibly grateful.
One of those spaces needing some help is the new (to us) entry way. It lacked well… anything.
Totally boring… am I right?
A few years ago I had a friend post a picture on my Facebook page of coat racks made of ladders. I wanted to find the original to link to it, but had no luck. I did happen to have some luck finding old wooden ladders in my shipping container though, so I went for trying creating it in my own way.
Can I just tell you that this is one of those times when having no idea what you’re in for is a good thing? I might have moved this project to another day far in the future otherwise…. Taking apart a ladder is not an easy task.
I knew I wanted to preserve the look and feel of the ladder and that top step. However, with the way I wanted to use the back half, and have it flat on the wall, I couldn’t leave it attached and had to get it off. Looking underneath is you figure that out.
Some google searches told me drilling these rivets out, is the easiest way. Ugh… Ok, How hard can that be? Ryobi power tools to the Rescue!
There were a lot of rivets to drill out. Once I got those out, I worked on securing that top shelf for hanging on the wall. I figured the easiest way to do that was to brace it. So I leveled it all out, then screwed and glued blocks of wood to the ladder frame.
I reattached the top step and brought everything inside to have a preliminary look at the layout.
Like a glove I tell you….
Ok, the color HAD to go and if I was going to paint, it was going to have to be done quickly and before I hung those ladders. Well, I couldn’t find a single roller ANYWHERE.. seriously. I painted the entire hallway with a HomeRight QuickPainter Pad Edge Painter.
Surprisingly it didn’t take as long as you would think. While I am a huge proponent of the right tool for the job, this one worked WONDERFULLY and I probably worked faster than I would have with a roller (I passionately hate painting walls, H.A.T.E. it). I know the cleanup was easier for sure!
Here is a color comparison:
I felt better just seeing the new color on the walls. Anyway, I got the painting done and then attached the ladders to the walls.
The space needed a rug and obviously hooks on those ladders… I wanted to keep going with the “vintage and used” vibe so many searches on the internet came up with these:
because NO ONE makes anything like them… why? they’re fabulous, so I have no idea. I had to get these off eBay. So FYI, if you want to try to reproduce this, you will need to search “ceiling hooks”… that’s what you will need. Why? Regular coat hooks wont work because they hang at a 90° angle, and these have to hang straight down when they’re screwed in.
I finally got my bid in and had to wait almost two weeks for the auction to end.. that was a killer to this impatient gal. Here is the final result:
So what do you think of the entry way transformation? I am really happy with the way this one turned out. How do you feel about this kind of repurposing? I plan on adding more touches later and reusing the “steps” of the ladders too. For now this helps a bit with the “where’s my coat?” question.
(HomeRight did provide product for me to review and share with you, but all opinions are my own and always will be.)
19 Comments
Shannon
December 9, 2015 at 10:23 AMDon’t be surprised if I copy this! You have been warned 🙂
Adorable!!
Scottie
December 9, 2015 at 9:40 PMDo it! Just make sure I see!!
Janice Brotherton
December 9, 2015 at 10:33 AMScootie I love it, great use of something old and hiding the shipping container. I would maybe shorten the legs and add a shelf or box for shoes and boots.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Janice
Scottie
December 9, 2015 at 9:41 PMThank you! Yes, I have a basket for shoes under one ladder but it looked funny for the pictures so I took it out. 😉 want to find some that mount to the bottom rungs to stay out of the way.
Susan
December 9, 2015 at 5:38 PMLo-ove it! Pinned and am now on the hunt for some old ladders.
Scottie
December 9, 2015 at 9:39 PMThank you Susan! I can’t wait to see what you do!!
Bonnie Bernier
December 11, 2015 at 1:09 AMScottie, that is so cool! I wish I would have done something like this when my kids were little. I imagine once you are ready that you can change the look again and again and never grow tired of it.
Scottie
December 11, 2015 at 6:48 AMThanks Bonnie, I’m so glad you like it! It will be fun to see what evolves over the years..
Louise Adkins
December 11, 2015 at 8:29 AMCute. You were fortunate to have the ladders. Buying old ladders can get expensive where I live. Enjoy.
Scottie
December 12, 2015 at 10:12 AMThank you! I’ve had these for a while and had a different plan for them. This was a much better idea and now I have the fronts to do something else with. 🙂
Beverly Deardurff
December 12, 2015 at 12:10 AMIs that your back door? I like it.It looks like a tough upcycle as far as all the disassembling and assembling you had to do. Have you thought about wooden chairs with seat cut in half? The front legs would be not be on the chair, add hooks for coats, and you could enclose the bottom area to form a box for shoes, hats, etc. Bow tie the shoes together and hang from a hook. I have three doors on my old house (98 yrs. old) to be exact. Front door from inclosed porch, side door leading down to the basement and up into the kitchen, and a back door with a screen door into very small passage way to “outside door” going into kitchen. When my kids were young and at home, they came in the front door and threw their stuff down. In the small landing at the side door my husband put up hooks and hung up his coats. Since we recycle, our bins are there, so the side door isn’t an option as an entry. The area in between the back doors is where we place our trash can and another recycling bin. There is actually not a coat closet by any door. I thouhgt about an antique waredobe at the front door to hang up coats. I’m in the process of downsizing the stuff/crafts that I don’t do anymore. I’d like to put in a place as you enter the house where you can sit, take off your shoes (a new policy), and hang up your coat (if you are only staying temporily). There were wooden pillars in the living room that the previous oweners took down and placed in the basement. They split down the side, but the gap isn’t large. I saw in a magazine where these were upcycled into hall trees. They would match, but I’d have to do some first-aid. I would need a place to sit, take off shoes, and place in a tray, shelf, or pegs for shoes. I might have 1 square yard of space to work with if it is right by the door. My husband has his laptop, printer, and other stuff in the foyer. Across from the door are the stairs that lead upstairs and I could put a bench there. It’s difficult to describe the area because I have a taken up the space with my indoor plants and planting supplies. I have to have them removed by Christmas. I’m on this project myself because I have no support from my husband only nagging. Any ideas?
Scottie
December 12, 2015 at 10:19 AMThis is our back door. We don’t have a garage and this is closer to the driveway so it’s our main point of entry and exit right now. The house only has one non bedroom closet so it’s kind of inconvenient. This seems to be easier for hanging things up and the kids can reach it.
I love your chair idea too! I think I understand what you’re saying about the layout- it would be great for old rickety ones you’d be afraid to repair but still look nice.
I’d love to help you figure out something for your entry way. Any chance you have pictures of the aspects you’re talking about? It would be easier for me to help that way? You can email them to me. I bet if we put our heads together we can really come up with something unique and perfect for your situation!
Beverly Deardurff
December 12, 2015 at 2:57 PMI will try on my phone, but first I need to clear out those areas. Give me a week. I’m working on those areas now.
Kim Hardin
February 24, 2016 at 10:01 PMYou are a very clever and resourceful lady, Scottie!
Scottie
February 25, 2016 at 9:52 AMThanks so much Kim!
100+ Inspiring Mudrooms and Entryways | Albert Williams WordPress site
March 4, 2016 at 5:26 PM[…] Ladder Coat Hangers | Saved by Scottie […]
100+ Inspiring Mudrooms and Entryways | mrjohncreid
March 4, 2016 at 6:00 PM[…] Ladder Coat Hangers | Saved by Scottie […]
Alvin @ House Painters Brisbane
February 6, 2020 at 11:53 PMI really appreciate the creative ways you use the ladders. I wish I have old ladders to do something like this. Thanks for sharing!
Scottie
February 10, 2020 at 7:55 AMThank you Alvin! These ladders get a lot of use in this house and hold a lot more than I thought they ever would. I bet you could find some if you ask around. I’ve been lucky to put out specific “calls” for odd items on a local Facebook group and generally have someone who has whatever I’m looking for laying around. They’re always happy to help if I promise to share a picture of the project with them. Good Luck!