Thursday Thrifty Throwdown...on Friday

Hallelujah, we're back in business. I wasn't able to post all day yesterday, so now my Thrifty Thursday Throwdown is my Thrifty Friday Throwdown...doesn't quite have the same ring to it does it?
Todays' s feature: crusty, old ladders.
The wave of budget decorating is great because it makes a person think outside of the box and get innovative with design. All you have to work with is what is available at the thrift store/yard sale/flee market. And not only is it economical, it is also really satisfying...at least for me anyway. I get a lot of enjoyment out recyling old items and repurposing things that would otherwise end up in the junk yard.
So, imagine my delight when I acquired this old, wooden ladder.

I could see that its days of being a working ladder were over due to its dry and brittle state, not to mention that it was also rickety and unstable. But that didn’t deter me because I had something different in store for it. This old ladder was “moving up the ladder” as it were, from someone’s old work shed to my living room.
I'm in the process of redecorating my living room and I knew that somehow incorporating this unespected element into the design would give it that extra dose of character it needed.
I actually ended up cutting my ladder down. Which left with a step stool and two random pieces.

I really needed an end table and I thought an old step stool would be perfect.

{Did you notice that I still haven't painted one of my lamp shades. Ya, I'll get around to it someday}.

The top isn't very big so I was kinda limited in my decorating. But it's a good space for adding a little pop of color and texture.

The rungs created the perfect little spot for some homeless books and magazines.

I swear that isn't an old beer bottle. It's actually a really old bottle of some sort. It has nifty measurements on the side in mililters and there's a date on the bottoms that says 1845. At least I'm saying that it's a date.

I am having a hard time leaving it alone. Every time I walk by I rearrange things...hence the various combinations of knick knacks in every picture.

I really love the look of the faded, natural wood, but I have a hard time leaving well enough alone. Should I kiss the wood with a little bit of white/cream paint or just leave it be? Suggestions?

I couldn't very well toss out the left over ladder parts, for it is not the frugal way. So, I decided to use one section as a magazine rack. I'm always looking for places to stash my magazines so it worked out perfectly.



For the time being, the third piece of ladder is currently residing in the nursery as a blanket/book holder, but I'm not loving it so I'm not sure that is where it will stay.

I think I spent $8 for the ladder and I was able to get three functional pieces out of it. If I do the that right that would mean each piece cost me a little over $2. Not too shabby, methinks.

Linking to:
Funky Junk Interiors


Miss Mustard Seed