Screw a ½-inch plywood spacer to the back of the top shelf to keep the shelves from touching the wall. That way, a bulge in the wall won't prevent the ladder shelf from being fastened securely.

Costway 4-Tier Bamboo Ladder Shelf, $48 (was $170) at Target. Courtesy of Target. The ladder shelf requires a quick assembly and comes with everything you need to complete the project.

Shop this Vasagle 4-tier ladder bookshelf on sale for only $50, down from $150. Shoppers say it takes less than 30 minutes to put together. Skip to main content ...