Introduction

We'll show you everything you need to know to build this handsome leaning ladder shelf in a day. The shelves are tough enough to hold books, while its whimsical look makes it a perfect addition to almost any room. It's a great woodworking project to give as a gift or use in your own home.

This leaning ladder shelf unit may look lightweight and easy to topple. But don’t be fooled. It’s a real workhorse. The 33-1/2 in. x 82-3/4 in. tower features five unique, tray-like shelves of different depths to hold a wide variety of items up to 13-1/4 in. tall. Despite its 10-degree lean, the unit is surprisingly sturdy and its open design won’t overpower a room.

Whether you make this piece more functional, as in this office setting, or place it in the family room to showcase treasures, the basic construction is the same. You select the type of wood and stain or paint to dress it up or down to fit the look of any room.

We built our unit with red oak and oak veneer plywood and finished it with two coats of red oak stain. The beauty of this project is that any wood species will work. If you plan to paint it, select alder or aspen for the solid parts and birch for the plywood.

One note when buying boards: Use a tape measure to check the “standard” dimensions of 1x3s and 1x4s. They sometimes vary in width and thickness. Also check the two full-length 1x4s you plan to use as the uprights to be sure they’re straight, without warps or twists. Always examine the ends, edges and surface for blemishes or rough areas that won’t easily sand out.

All the materials can be purchased in home centers or lumber yards. The only special tools you’ll need are a power miter box for crisp angle cuts and an air-powered brad nailer for quick assembly and almost invisible joints. And you’ll have to rustle up an old clothes iron to apply oak edge-banding material. Once you’ve gathered all the material, you can build the ladder shelf unit in one afternoon.

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