How to reach high-level functionality with interior ladder systems

Hidden in plain sight right above our heads, there’s around 50-150cm of wasted space going unused and unnoticed. Those hard-to-reach spots atop wardrobes, kitchen cupboards and bookcases are reserved only for seldom-used objects, left to be forgotten and gather dust. Helping rooms with high ceilings make full use of their additional height, however, interior ladders allow storage spaces to reach their full potential, while making sure they remain safe, comfortable and easy to access by everyone.

Interior spaces blessed with additional height are often unable to utilise it functionally, with the highest shelves stretching far out of reach. At Zosia’s House in Gdansk, Poland, for example, a lowered floor in the home’s reading room afforded the space even more ceiling height. By using an interior ladder and a track, the architects were able to stretch the shelves all the way to the top of the room.

Installing a track as part of an interior ladder system such as MWE Edelstahlmanufaktur’s Sliding system not only gives the ladder crucial support, holding it securely against the wall, but also allows it to be repositioned smoothly and effortlessly using lockable wheels at floor level, too. By installing curved corner cracks, meanwhile, such as in MWE Edelstahlmanufaktur’s Vario ladder system, users are able to move a ladder from wall to wall, without ever leaving the security of the track.

For users without the ability to fix a track to the wall of existing storage securely, however, trackless ladder systems such as MWE Edelstahlmanufaktur’s Positionable ladder are still able to provide a strong and secure connection to walls or units. Protective pads on the ladder serve both to hold it securely in place when under the weight and imbalance of use, and also protect the surface from scratches and scrapes.

For all the extra vertical space interior ladder systems open up for storage, having a ladder point out into the middle of a room is not a fair exchange for small spaces. MWE Edelstahlmanufaktur’s Hook ladder system rectifies this issue by designing a ladder and track system that supports itself with hooks rather than runners. This means the slim ladder can simply be pushed up against the wall when out of use.

If there is not enough space to permanently position a ladder system against a storage wall, another option is a light and moveable step stool. The issue the majority of step stools have, however, is that they’re either too low to reach high enough, or too large to keep in any available space nearby. Magis’ Flò step stool gives an extra 700mm of height from its top step, includes a safety bar to lean against and folds down to just 100mm to fit snugly in a gap or against a wall.

In spaces with extra-large ceilings, vaulted ceilings or in double-void storeys, however, there may be even more height available. For these, extra-large interior ladders like MWE Edelstahlmanufaktur’s Tangens ladder place an extra few feet of handrails onto the top. These allow the user to reach and stand on the very top rung of the ladder safely by offering a support bar above to pull oneself up and lean against.

For high-volume storage areas, the more vertical space that can be utilised the better. At the Camden Town house, for example, a large reference library reaches up to the top of the location, the former Monty Python film studios. With the use of a barely noticeable library ladder, the reference wall almost doubles in capacity. Meanwhile, setting another ladder back from the edge of high wall cabinets in the kitchen allows the user to swing open a cupboard door, without knocking themselves off.

To reach the very top of the Camden Town house’s kitchen cabinets, the user must stand on the very top step. In these cases, an extra safety bar above the top rung gives extra stability, especially when holding heavy objects. At the Liang House, meanwhile, where a ladder provides an additional play space for children, it’s especially important to have accompanying safety bars on either side, offering a secure hold when climbing up or down from the mezzanine floor.

Another mezzanine floor was created and served by an interior ladder at the In Plain Sight Apartment in New York, USA. This time, however, the interposition was intended not as a play space for children, but one for adults. ‘The childlike feeling that one has when finding a space that unfolds into a private and personal world’ explains the architects Nakworks. For this ‘grown-ups only’ ladder, it was especially important that the wide wooden treads were comfortable for larger adult feet.

Sometimes a traditional product can surprise you with the innovative way it’s used. Instead of employing a ladder’s height to reach high storage – and its rungs simply as a way to get there – the Ladder from Wiener GTV Design uses the form itself as storage. It may not be the most functional application, but using steam-bent wood to alternate its curved rungs means the ladder’s curved design complements contemporary interiors.

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