This project came to us through a respected British Interior Designer, with whom we have worked on a number of projects in the past. This particular project was based in Boston, MA. The property was a particularly fine penthouse unit in a prestigious building in the city, with especially high ceilings! The sitting room featured book cases along two walls, which were divided by doorways and a fireplace, all of which were floor to ceiling. The need for a library ladder was apparent, as it would be impossible to reach more than half of the bookshelves without one!
Due to the need to be able to move the ladder to different locations, a hook-on system was chosen instead of a rolling ladder solution. The height that it was necessary to reach was pretty great, therefore it was important to ensure the length of the library ladder between the rail and the floor was not overly long, so a cranked ladder design was proposed and chosen. A cranked ladder can provide further height without making the distance between the rail and the floor too great, preventing unnecessary flex in the ladder and also avoiding too great-a-foot-print into the room (the longer the ladder, the greater it would project).
The overall solution was superbly well received and the upper shelves are now being used to their full potential!
To view a selection of our standard library ladder hardware components, please visit our “Shop-Ladders” page, or to discuss a similar ladder system for a tall library project, please contact us.
Click on the images below…
