The versatile form of a ladder has been used for shelving and display for centuries, but this year’s designs incorporate clever details and accessories that make this style more versatile than ever:

Tilt by Discipline: Designers Jack Smith and Gemma Matthias re-imagined the form of a simple oak ladder as a multi-functional storage and display piece. Accessories including wood and metal boxes, shelves, and trays make it a display piece suitable for home or office. www.discipline.eu

Plisado by Karl Andersson: By draping a ladder with fabric, Note designed this lightweight storage rack that can be moved easily. Fabric pockets made with Messenger 2 fabric in gray or red from Kvadrat hold anything from magazines to clothing and accessories. www.karl-andersson.se

Tyke by Magis: Konstantin Grcic’s design for Magis is a low-profile leaning ladder form made with uprights of steel tube and shelves of steel plate with a powder-coated finish. www.magisdesign.com

Bug Collection Rui Pereira and Ryosuke Fukusada: Part of Cotto’s Another Perspective show during the Milan furniture fair 2013, the Bug Collection includes cork and steel bathroom accessories that the designers created to form a deeper connection between bath furnishings and those in the rest of the home. www.rui-pereira.com / www.ryosukefukusada.com

Verso shelf by One Nordic: Designer Mikko Halonen created the Verso design for a competition to design a piece to display a series of classic books in pocket-sized format. The winning design uses minimal materials to display books, or clothing and other items, without shelves. www.onenordic.com