Yahoo! The loft ladder is in! 😀
You’ll notice I used the word ladder (not stairs), because that’s what it ended up being. We only had five or so feet to work with, and we had to go up twelve feet high, so there ya have it. The builder is coming back tomorrow to add a few more things to it, but Kevin taped off the railing this afternoon so that he could prime and paint it before the hog/goat wire gets installed. It’s that 4″x4″ wire mesh that looks like this:
And speaking of those photos, they were sent to me by my friend, Traci, from Beneath My Heart. She knew we were on the look out for creative staircase/ladder ideas, and her friend had just built that, so she forwarded them to me to show me how cool it turned out. So glad she did! I looooove the look of that stuff!
I will say- I wasn’t involved in the design process of our ladder at all. The builder just showed up with it already built, so I’m not sure it’s *exactly* what I would have done, but I think (with a few more additions/tweaks) it’ll work just fine for what we’ll will use the loft for. (And by “we’ll”, I mean me and Kevin. It’s going to be a workspace for us since we both work from home and don’t have an office in our side of the house.)
I’ve been thinking about possibly adding some wood to the back side of the ladder tomorrow, but I’m undecided on whether or not that would just create a whole bunch of places for dust to get trapped. Here’s an inspiration pic:
I would do it to make it safer and to create a more “nook” feel behind the ladder, where Jim and Katie’s chair-and-a-half and side table will go. Thoughts?
The wire mesh will cover all the (currently) big, open square spaces up on the landing and in the loft, and yes, it will be very secure.
And no, Steevenson will not be allowed to climb up and down the ladder (or be in the loft) without an adult for several years. 😉
Last but not least, I used Photoshop to color the ladder and railings so that you could see what everything will look like when Kevin’s done painting:
Oops…just noticed I forgot to color the right side of the ladder…but you get the idea. 🙂 I think it might look neat to paint the steps black, and tack individual sisal stair treads to each one to add some warmth and texture. Oh, and by the way- here’s where I found the inspiration for the black and white palette:
Good ol’ Joanna Gaines! 😀
I’ll be back next week with updated pics if you’re curious to see how the paint and wire turns out!
Layla
What will be in the loft?
My idea would be to leave the ladder the natural wood color and here’s why. It seems to me like the black ladder would be to stark and would take away from the warm cozyness you want for your in-laws. What about having a very narrow bookcase or shelving on the nook wall under the ladder?
My two cents worth, Layla
Oh, that’s actually why I was going to use the sisal treads. To add a bit of contrast and some warm-colored texture. 🙂
And I know they would *love* to better utilize that area under the stairs, unfortunately it’s just not in the budget. This build has ended up costing WAY more than the initial guesstimate. 🙁 Also, that’s the only space for their chair-and-a-half, and Katie really wants to have that little bit of overflow seating.
And here’s my two cents regarding the back of the stairs. The stairs (not ladder) going to our basement were open. I was much younger than your inlaws and always felt unsafe going up and down them. I was afraid if I fell and somehow my leg stuck through it would break badly. My husband finally boarded up the back and now they are great. Another thing that is scary about your ladder is that it’s pretty steep so I would definitely enclose the back. I can’t imagine them feeling safe.
Thanks for weighing in, Jo! Kevin and I (and maybe an occasional grandkid) will be the only ones using the ladder, but I appreciate your thoughts about the backing. Since ours is a ladder (and not stairs), we have actually found that we climb up and down it VERY slowly, hanging on to the rails the whole way up and down. I could see if it were a staircase, how you would be inclined to move up and down it faster (and maybe without using both hands on a rail) though. I’ll have to give it some more thought, but I’m leaning toward leaving it open right now.
Personally I’d let them live with the stairs without enclosing them – they might feel “short” and may need to step “into” the stairs. I don’t know if that makes much sense but that’s my feeling! They’ll know shortly whether they should be enclosed!
Oh, Kevin and I (and grandchildren) will actually be the only ones using this ladder. 🙂
I think the open stairs would be a more “airy” look, especially with the size on the bungalow. I do not care for the black–too much contrast to the serene look of the white. But safety must be the most important issue for those living there!!
Thanks, Cindy. I like the airiness of the open ladder too. As for the black and white, that’s our background palette. We’re popping color in through art, furniture and decor.
Putting wood on the back will limit the amount of space for your toes. I would not add it.
Layla, your space is looking GREAT! I love the ladder painted white, and I also really like the unexpected contrasting black color! I get my design advice from you, so I’m not too confident suggesting ideas to you, lol, but I will say that we have wood on the back of our stairs, and yes, dust collects there like crazy. I also wondered about it limiting the toe space, like others have mentioned, but I know you’re aware of that. It does prevent a foot from slipping off the back side, but like everything, there are pro’s and con’s. Since I’m sure your in-laws won’t be trotting up and down those stairs anyway, whatever you decide will be a great solution. 🙂 It was a great idea to add more usable space in the barn. And I love the hog/goat wire! I’ve been looking for something similar to use on some stairs we’re remodeling. As usual, you’ve given me a lot of inspiration!
Could the ladder have been hinged at the landing so that it could be lifted up closer to the ceiling and pulled down when needed? If I remember correctly, the loft will be for storage and later for a really cool sleeping loft for grandchildren, so the ladder doesn’t have to be there all the time. It seems to take up a lot of space. Btw, the barn is awesome. I get really excited every time I see there is an update.
Nope. Waaaay too heavy to be lifted…and it’s already installed. 😉
Plans have changed and the loft space will actually be used as a workspace for Kevin and I. So sweet of the Palmers to let us barge in there, huh? 😀
Okay, that makes sense. Could this be why you are the designer and I am the admirer?
The way they do ladders like that is there is a spring that lifts the ladder — you actually need to hang onto a rope to keep it from lifting itself up. So the weight of the ladder isn’t an issue. Just FYI — I know you’re not doing this. 🙂
DON”T “box in” the back of the ladder steps. We have pull-down “stairs” (it’s a ladder) in our garage. The board that’s affixed to the back of the steps makes me go up and down on my tiptoes! I don’t feel secure, because I can’t plant my foot at the arch.
Perfect! That’s what I was leaning towards, Anne. Thanks for the advice!
I was thinking the same thing…I would think you’d both want to be able to put your foot as deep onto the step as it needs to be to feel safe. The board on the back would limit how much of your foot you can put on the step and might feel less secure. I think you should trust your “leaning.” 🙂
The stairs look great! The nook feeling is all about the lighting. A cozy chair and table with the prefect lamp will complete the look!
Sweet Layla, will you be having a LuLa Roe sale this week? If you are, will you let those of us not on Facebook know the Roe With Me address? I “need” another Maxi skirt. ?
Thank you!
We have a ladder similar to yours to our loft at our cottage. We have older children going up and and down quite often. It’s true, you just have to be careful and go slower up and down. We have not had a problem. We really like the ladder open because it does not take up as much visual space. So fun to see your project!
Ladder looks perfect! I vote for keeping open, easier to keep treads clean and if Katie using space under for a sitting area it will feel more open for her! Love the black and white and the hog wire. If the items to be stored up there prove too big to safely carry up and down the ladder, you always install an old wooden pulley and rope ( like a true barn hayloft !)
Ok, here’s one more point of interest. I’m for the open stairs since Mom and Dad don’t use them…but would keep the steps natural because it will not show the dust! We know how black attracts dust. Looks great!
Oh, I would love to have natural stair treads too, Jan. Unfortunately, the builder used the lowest grade wood and many of the steps have paint splattered on them and we don’t feel like sanding in there anymore…especially since the wood isn’t very pretty anyway. 🙁 Maybe we’ll paint them white instead. ?
I love the inspiration picture of the back of the stairs closed in. But I also thought about the width of the steps. They look much wider in the inspiration picture. I too would feel like I was in my tiptoes walking up the steps. I love the black and white color scheme. You are doing such a fantastic job on Mr. & Mrs. Palmers cozy home.
Stevenson will be a pro before you realize it….lol I thought the loft was for grand kids? If it’s a office for y’all isn’t that intrusive to your in-laws? But love the barn attachment idea
Plans have changed (don’t they always have a way of doing that?) and it was actually Katie’s (gracious) idea. 🙂 We’ll actually be sharing a kitchen (in our side of the house) for at least the first year too, so intrusive or not- this is how we’ll be living very soon! 😀
Another idea, as opposed to sissal are Flor squares. We installed their “house pet” squares (we cut them in half) in 2010 in our mud room entry and have been soooo super happy with them. They never budge and despite having a black lab and using this entry in all four seasons of the Midwest, they hide ALL the dirt. Seriously, they hide everything and add great traction.
We used the “Irish Setter” color, which is similar to a sissal color. Works perfectly.
I would attach a photo but can’t seem to figure it out. ?
P.S. I would vote for leaving the ladder open. It looks beautiful and goodness knows nobody needs MORE to dust!
I love Flor! We’ve used them in many rooms throughout the years, and have really enjoyed them too. I think I want to go with sisal treads in this area (more of an “outdoor” texture), but I will definitely keep the squares in mind if that doesn’t work out! 😀
The ladder looks so amazing!! Can’t wait to see the final photos with everything all decorated! I think the black/white will be perfect.
I would leave them open.. I had closed stairs and I was always hitting my toes against the back. Plus open is so much easier to clean. Once the railing is up it will feel safe.
I am very interested in this post. I have a black spiral staircase up to the loft & really wish it were white. Although I like black as an accent, I am on team paint it white for you. I would leave open on the backs. Mine are and make it much easier. The bungalow is turning out so well!
Don’t you love it when the builder makes design choices? Would it be really odd to enclose it like in your inspiration, as if they were stairs?
I thought about that too, Nancy- but since there’s no room in the budget for that much additional wood, that’s not an option right now.
I cannot imagine having to go to my in-laws to work. Being open the noise from below would be such a distraction not to mention the coming and going. I thought the loft was for grandkids to sleep. A bookcase along the back wall under the stairs would make it fit in so much better. I am a designer by profession and have looked at this situation a lot. I will be curious to see what you do. Your ideas are always clever and stylish. Happy New Year to all of you!
Hi Dianne,
Maybe I should’ve clarified. It will mainly be a secondary workspace for Kevin and I since we already share a big desk in our master bedroom. A place to use a laptop computer and store work-related things. It *was* going to be a sleeping loft, but plans have changed based on what we actually need in terms of rooms.
As far as “coming and going”, only one of us will be up there at a time (and probably only at night), so there won’t be a lot of back and forth throughout the day. There *will*, however, be a lot of back and forth into our kitchen for a while though, because we’re going to be sharing that space for at least the first year Jim and Katie are here. (No room in the budget for a kitchen on their side right now.)
I, too, love the look of bookcases under stairs, but that’s not what Katie wants to do in that area. She would rather use it for overflow seating so that they have more than just two recliners in that room. It’ll be fun to finally get to the furniture arranging stage! 😀
i would never dare give you decorating advice! you have such a great sense of style. looking forward to seeing the finished project. 🙂
Leave the stairs open, for foot room and more floor space for the occupants. You didn’t ask but paint it all white, the black just draws more attention to it. It seems awkward that you would be traypsing in and out of their house to use the space. Don’t you have a sunroom that would work?
What color is your paint, please?
i would leave the stairs open and do the sisal treads. Easier to climb up and down without the backer board. And I love the airy feeling of them open. Beautiful project! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Love the black contrast with the white! I would not paint the steps black though. You will see. Every. Spec. Of. Dust. And footprints.
Love your blog!
Cheers,
The Practical Mom
That is SO true! Scratch the black. We’ll go with white! 🙂
I would put the wood behind for reasons you mentioned. Also, The backside of stairs could also be used for art, photos, textile art..you would just have to secure all 4 corners of frames due to the angle.
We used hog fencing on our cottage deck and it’s so great – everyone loves that there isn’t a sight barrier.
Hog fencing is a new one for me. I’m intrigued + must have a look-see at some on Pinterest. 😉 Love everything!
I would sand and stain instead of paint for steps. You could always paint over stain later and stain comes in black if that is what you decide.
Not if you saw the wood they used. 😉 I think they must have used left over scrap wood (there’s no money left in the budget for wood), which is fine, but I am definitely anxious to cover it up with paint. We’ll probably use more Simply White on the steps. I hadn’t thought about how dust would show up on black.
How will you tack the sisal stair threads. Love your updates each week. Love your style!!!
I haven’t gotten that far, Debbie- LOL! 😀 Thank you for your kind words, too!
I prefer the look of all white with the sisal treads. The black seems a little startling and stark. Love the barn addition! How nice for your in-laws to be close to family and how nice for you to have Stevenson’s grandparents next door! Mary Jamieson
Thank you! And we’re big fans of the black and white, but to each his own, right? 😀
So sorry. But those stairs look like a major accident waiting to happen. Are they built to code?
Of course. They’re not stairs though. It’s a ladder. Basically just like a pull-down ladder you’d use to access an attic. Same concept…just more visible.
Layla! Can’t wait to see how the railing turn out. We’re also using 4×4 grid hog wire for our staircase and loft railings. That’s my hubby’s last big project to do inside our new home. Been living with temporary 2×4 railings for the last year, so it will be nice to have the new railings completed in the next few months. I would say to go with your gut on the open steps on the ladder.
It’s all looking so good! I would love an update on your floors once they’ve been lived with for awhile…they’re a major contender for our downstairs floor replacement someday. 🙂 Can’t wait for the next update!
Check out the paint on these stairs. https://instagram.com/p/BOjVvFLgoiN/
@ farmshenanigans on instagram
What’s wrong with sharing? Generations together is a gift. Separate quiet spaces and together spaces is a good balance. Well done!
I agree! Love the idea of sharing. Steevenson will learn so much from his grandparents…nothing like it!
I love the white and black. I actually would add more black by painting the supporting pieces that are underneath the balcony/landing So that the ceiling beams don’t blend into them (maybe they don’t except for the angle of the pic) and neither does the ladder. It all looks beautiful.
Love where you are going with this! I wanted to use that fencing on our deck, but hubby Poo-pooed it. :-/
I would leave the back open for more lightness, and I am not sure about sisal treads. I would surely catch a toe on the edge going up, or slip coming down. But that’s me. I do like that you will paint them white, that will look awesome with the black. I know whatever you do, I will love!
Thanks, Marianne! And we’ll have to see about those treads. If I can figure out how to tack them down really well, I think it would be nice to have some texture there. Also, keep in mind that since we’re basically *climbing* a ladder (vs. going up and down stairs), we’re not really stepping the same way on the treads as you would if you were *walking*.
I think it’s wonderful that your in-laws want you to share their space. The same for you two (three) that want them to share your space. As long as there is mutual respect, and communication. This is how families always used to take care of each other, mutual need. It’s a good thing. Blessings. The stairs are nice too. Maybe a painted runner?
Thanks, Diane! I love that you mentioned “this is how families used to take care of each other” and that it’s all about “mutual respect and communication”. I’m sure we’ll have our challenges, but we are dedicated to taking care of each other and know that being respectful and having good communication will play an important role in our new family dynamic.
We had circular stairs up to our sons loft playroom and replaced them with a library ladder because we had to many accidents on the stairs. Boys climbed to fast and slipped or didn’t hold on to the handrail and slipped. We never had an accident with the ladder because they had to pay attention and hold on.
Looks great! I have a somewhat similar ladder/stair. Mine are a *bit* less steep, but it is completely open. We have a railing on the wall. My husband pulled off the backing as well as horrible carpeting and we found it felt safer for our big feet not to be bumping into the backing. We had young children at the time, and lots of “no playing on the dangerous stairs” admonishments. Kids are now in college with no incidents?.
LOVE reading your site; it inspires me on so many different levels. Thank you Layla, and best wishes to you and your family!
I thought you made the other side of your room into an office and that the loft was to be a place for grandkids to sleepover and hang out? I loved the office space you created in your room. ?
Not sure if you can or care to share but I’m curious as to why the cost has gone way over the price they gave you? Reason I ask is we are just about to build our home on our land and going way over the proposed budget/price scares me. Like I laid away last night thinking about it and then I read this this morning. ?
Yep! We did. 🙂 But since we’ve added my LuLaRoe business to our life since then, and a precious babe who still isn’t ready to sleep in his room (bless his heart), we’re needing a place to house all my inventory and another work space (that’s not in our bedroom) after he goes to sleep. 🙂
As for the budget, basically the builder just threw out a “guesstimate” number in the beginning, but how he actually works is called “cost plus”. So, the *true* number is whatever everything actually costs, plus his 10%. Let’s just say his guesstimate was waaaaay off, and adding the loft and breakfast room and having to pay for a MAJOR design change to the roofline (that, for the record, was done while we were out of town and looked nothing like a barn, and I still don’t think Jim and Katie should’ve had to pay for…grrrr.) made the current tally MUCH higher than expected. My advice, make sure your architect draws EVERYTHING *EXACTLY* like you want it to be built, don’t leave town at any point while they’re building, and be VERY cautious about signing a cost plus deal. 🙁
Thanks so much for replying! Thanks for that info, that really helps! I think our builder does it different but we will certainly take into account what you said. I love how the addition is coming along, sorry it ended up costing more but it does look fantastic and I can’t wait to see it all done and decorated! ?
Layla,
I think the ladder is going to be great painted black and white… Just like your inspiration photo.
It’s as easy as repainting it if you ever want to change it down the road. You might your minds and that’s totally ok.
I can’t imagine how stressful all of this has been for you all to go through with the build and budget going over. I am sure it’s been a learning experience for you all. Such is life.
I do applaud you for co-living with Kevin’s parents and having them in your daily lives. What a gift to them and your family. Other cultures live that way, they take care of each other. You all will figure it out once they move in and just focus on the benefits of them being close to you all.
Happy New year.. And maybe I’ll run into you again at IKEA this year.
Betsy Gordon
Is the ladder “permanent” or can it fold up when not needed? I am thinking on the permanent side but may have been convenient to fold up @ times! Love your Decor and building ideas, Layla
It’s stationary, Linda. Because it had to be so tall (12 feet) it needed to be very chunky (read: heavy!), and there’s no way we could’ve reached that high to fold it up anyway. Thank you for the kind comment! 😀
I have a crazy thing to tell you about coming down that ladder. Our water heater is in our attic and every year (twice a year) our heating and a/c folks come to do an inspection. The guys climb up the ladder just like you’d think, but they walk down the ladder like it’s stairs. It actually looks safer to me (believe it or not). Get Kevin to try it out first. 😉
I love the open look of your ladder and yet I’m always nervous when walking up open stairs so I’m afraid I’m no help at all. ?
I’d probably have to try tacking up some poster boards or butcher paper along part of the back to see if I’d prefer it closed.
Whatever you decide to do I know it will be lovely. Your home is so gorgeous!
As for sharing a space with your parents – my husband and I brought my grandmother to live with us in our 1000 sq ft home when we were newlyweds! Yes, there were some kinks to work out when she first joined us but it quickly became a wonderful experience. It was such a blessing to have her with us and I’m sure you all will feel the same way. Blessings to you all!
Love the hog fencing. We plan to re do our deck railing with it. I’ve seen it in a powder coated black, but have not found a source for it (yet).
We’ve got a ladder like that in our place and the ONLY way we climb it is to bypass the railing altogether and wrap our hands around the treads, just as you would climb a traditional ladder. It feels much more secure than trying to use the handrails!