DIY Pottery Barn Inspired Ladder

With the temperatures starting to cool off and this whisper of Autumn in the air, 

I've been on an endless pursuit to cozy up our home.

Time to bring out the blankets, candles, and harvest decor.  

So, in between the 3 unfinished projects I've been whittling away, 

{dining room gray conundrum, cabinet wine rack, and a file cabinet makeover}

I decided it would also be a good time to start a new project. :)

Specifically, I needed a place to display/store my cozy blankets.

I needed a place safe from our pets, where they couldn't climb all over my blankets

 and leave behind their fur, unlike the arm of a sofa or over-sized basket.

Recently, I purchased a couple knit throws from Pottery Barn

and remembered seeing them draped over a rustic looking ladder in the photos. 

It looked interesting, cozy, and I knew exactly where I would place it.

Of course, when I went to go see how much the ladder cost, I was a bit shocked.

There is no way I was going to pay $250 for a ladder that I could surely make for 10 times less. 

I stalked the Potter Barn ladder for dimensions, estimated the wood and dowel sizes, 

then I marched to the store to go buy said supplies. 

The dimensions I originally figured were as follows:

5' tall by 19" wide

5 rungs spaced about 11" with about 8" gap on either end

NOTE: I measured out 5ft on the wall and since our ceilings are pretty high, it just looked a bit underwhelming.  I decided it needed to be a bit bigger.  Pottery Barn sells an 8ft ladder, but 8ft looked a bit too big.  Instead, I went with 6ft and adjusted my dimensions to the following:

6' tall x 20" wide

6 rungs spaced 11" with 8.5" gap on either end

Materials Purchased:

$15 (3) 1 1/8" x 48"  Solid Wood Dowels

$4 (2) 2" x 3" x 96" Kiln-Dried Whitewood Stud 

Tools Used:

Drill using 1 1/8 Woodboring Spade Drill Bit

Compound Miter Saw 

{any saw can be used if you have a steady hand and a good sander}

Electric Sander

Other Materials:

Elmers Wood Glue

Elmers Wood Filler

Straps or Clamps

Wood Conditioner

Stain

1. Cut the 2"x 3" down to 6' length
2. Cut the dowels to 20" length
   
   
3. Measure 8.5" up from the bottom of the 2"x 3" side pieces and mark where your rungs will be placed, every 11 inches. 
4. Drill rung wholes 1/2" deep.
   
   
5. Wood fill and sand any imperfections or knots
6. Glue in rungs, measure width of ladder to make sure it is even from bottom to top
7. Clamp or strap the bottom and top
   
   
8. Lay flat to dry overnight
9. Do any last wood filing, sanding, and dusting
10. Prime wood for staining with a wood conditioner
    
11. Stain wood with desired color. Allow to dry overnight. {I used a brown glaze left over that was never used when we did our cabinet redo.}
    
12. Coat wood with wax or clear polyurethane

My next goal for the living room is to get this IKEA chair and chaise to flank the fireplace.

Also, there is an imminent ottoman makeover... the whim is more than whispering.
My poor ottoman needs a slip cover or reupholster, badly!