Old ladder into shelving unit with storage

Sure you have seen quite a few projects of shelving units using old ladders, the internet is full of examples - I certainly like the idea, and when I got this lovely old wooden ladder covered in paint splashes I had no doubts on what to do with it.

In fact, I had already made one -remember the portable display from a while ago? But well, each project it's a world on its own, in this case the half-a-ladder had an 'A' shape and the steps were mere 4 x 4cm wooden strips, too close to each other to leave enough room for books or other items when there would be shelves on top of them... and those strips were not even parallel to the ground. It required a major transformation and structural planning to be able to turn it into a proper shelving unit!

I also wanted to add more storage to the finished piece, and decided to adapt a big, gorgeous drawer salvaged from a Mid-Century desk that already had its front in an angle. It fitted perfectly well at the bottom of the ladder, so it HAD to become part of it! It rounds up the design and balances the proportions of the whole piece

I have used pine wood boards taken from a dismantled plain cabinet to make the shelves, plus added the steps that I cut from the ladder on the back of them. A big nice board salvaged from an old wardrobe goes on top of the drawer. The iron cup handle comes from the discarded drawers of a very old hardware store in the area that closed some time ago (sad!)- not only it looks nice, it also covers the key hole in the front of the drawer, not useful anymore as the key was missing!

And there you are: an elegant selving unit with a modern design but a rustic feel, useful in the house and even as a display at a shop!
Measures: 150cm high, 50cm wide at the bottom, 33cm wide at the top. The distance from the wall at the bottom is also 50cm. The shelves measure 38 x 32cm, 31 x 21cm and 24 x 20cm

Some close-ups showing the shelving unit in detail:

Here is the ladder in its original state, with a close up of the lovely paint splashes:

And now, for the making process: the parts, prior their transformation (ladder, recovered pinewood boards, vintage drawer). Cutting and sanding the boards (in the picture, those that would make the sides for the drawer)

Sanding the edges of the surface on top of the drawer to 'round'  them in a rustic way. Nailing the back of the drawer unit, once mounted

Wood filling the gaps on the surface of the drawer unit, then applying the distressed off-white effect

Polishing the old iron cup handle for the drawer. Then, working on the salvaged boards for the shelves: filling the holes some had on their sides

Cutting some of the steps of the ladder and drilling the holes in the pieces of salvaged wood that would support the shelves

Applying a water-base dark stain to the inside of the drawer, its front, the sides of its 'box' (not shown here) and the shelves; polishing the surfaces to get a satin, smooth finish

Varnishing all the rest of wooden parts (here, the top of the drawer unit). Nailing the handle to the front of the drawer

And, finally, mounting the shelves on the ladder, screwing in the supports: tricky! there were too many different angles to solve