I followed dreamdoctor here from another post. I didn't grow up with Christmas, so the variety of these lights and their evolution is a total mystery to me, although they have always held a fascination for me. I have a set of white Christmas lights woumd around my wrought iron rail at the top of my split entry stairs that I put there at least a decade ago. So long ago I forget they are there and that anyone would judge their aesthetic value. They have become an essential to light my stairs at night as well as serve to give a bit of flavor to that part of the house in the night. I'll have to check out "modern versions!" BTW dream doctor I have been a vegetarian for a few years and still love the smell of bacon, as long as I don't think about it. Kind of like my recycled leather floors. My own hypocracy is a work in progress. ;-)

I'm with ashilleong on this – excellent name, cute shape, totally impractical for the actual storing and retrieval of books (unless you only have a couple of dozen of roughly the same size and weight). My bookshelves need to house a lot of books and those books are immensely varied in size, weight and format and despite semi-regular clear outs as well as downloading books to the iPad (and the non-return of many loans!) the numbers continue to increase and require some sort of ordering in order to quickly and easily locate a required volume. So for people whose lives don't revolve around books or for whom books are an occasional indulgence or even those who treat them as a form of decor and buy them by the metre this doesn't really cut it as a bookshelf.

The parlour palm is the most reliable palm for indoors .. Plants add exponentially to the indoors effect and personality, as has been said many times over, however as with anything, ideally should be placed/chosen tastefully and not in a hodge-podge or messy looking fashion. Unhealthy looking plants are particularly unattractive ..

@herladyship92 and @macanning...immediately on reading this poll I thought of the ladder suspended from the ceiling in the kitchen of a country home of a friend, it was where to hang all the "odd" cooking utensils..Where I live there's a community of Italians that has grown here since the 1950's. Through an Italian grocery shop they introduced many utensils that were and still are today not comminly used or understood by Australians. I've accquired some of the more useful ones...like the "schiacciapatate" for example, and... (don't know its name)... the semicircular knife that has a big round wooden knob on each end...much easier to use for cutting things up finely and far less dangerous than the long sharp knife used by chefs....Such items are made with design and durability in mind as are.all Italian kitchen utensils, the shapes and workmanship are so well thought out that putting these utensils on display from a suspended old ladder is, for me, an extremely appropriate addition to kitchen decor and a great conversation piece....although it would pose a dusting problem if the implements were not used. Old shiny copper pans look good too. I frequently rummage in "Old Wares" places. Good one herladyship92! And Macanning! Love the bookshelf ladder! It is a very timely idea as I want to unclutter the floor space by getting rid of my old book cases. I'll be on the lookout for old ladders! As for towel rack ladders and all other uses I am not a fan. I think that ladders only look good in a rustic environment. @ asquithoatley.... if for decor purposes only, why not hang a few used paint brushes, nice looking paint-bespattered rags and empty paint tins of different sizes and let it look as if the painter left it behind..you had a good idea there!. I like that. Another use. for me in my art studio, would be as storage for paints, brushes and other artists' bits and pieces...I'm inspired! Otherwise a ladder for the sake of it without clever forethought to presentation in any kind of room..... I think the ladder needs to be given definite interesting purpose..not just be put there with a few uninteresting things hanging off it.. I've seen a very tall wooden ladder almost reaching the 10ft ceiling in the corner of a large wood-panelled room. The home owner built a fake man hole above the ladder, and around the base on the floor' just a little 1 metre high decorative iron fence with a gate and a large, obvious brass padlock...Intriguing!...Visitors' children always want to know where the ladder goes to!