I am looking for plans or a website on building a folding or swinging ladder for my small cabin I have a loft in it and would prefer a folding or swinging ladder as a space saver. Any feedback is appreciated.
It may not be as fun, but this is already a standard off the shelf item.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004RKCK/102-9281714-9879315?v=glance&n=228013
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00004RKCK.01._PE20_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
Some one gave me one of these and I installed it for attick access.
They work pretty well. Just make sure that you lubricate the metal
parts carefully. The one I had was a take out and had suffered a
lot of wear due to lack of lubrication on the moving parts.
Bruce
For getting things off of shelves, library ladders are pretty nice. I wouldn't want to use any ladder to come down from a bedroom, and the rolling library type just adds complications to that, like it might not be where you left it. Other people don't always share my point of view.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2237&cookietest=1
(http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/50088-01-200.jpg)
Or you could possibly do something like a tansu, so that your steps were your storage.
One occasionally sees pictures of them being used as stairs. Usually pretty strange stairs. There are other ways to use the stairs for storage. Treads that flip up, and so on. Which sound to me like a fall waiting to happen.
http://www.asiandreamsfurniture.com/Korean/steptansu/step_tansu.html
(http://www.asiandreamsfurniture.com/Korean/steptansu/step_t1.jpg)