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About:

Antique French library ladder from Normandy, early 20th century. Handcrafted in dark-stained oak with nine flush-set steps and a folding frame, this piece was designed for both utility and refinement. The rear features a wooden X-brace, while a blackened steel stabilizing rod spans the structure, adding both strength and sculptural appeal. Mortise and tenon joinery keeps the form clean and secure, with each step seamlessly integrated into the frame. A removable top section offers versatility. Beautifully preserved, this ladder is suitable for decorative use or light practical function (up to 150 lbs), and folds neatly when not in use.

Shipping:

This item requires freight delivery. After purchase, you will be contacted within 72 hours with a custom shipping quote based on your location and the size of the item. Shipping will be billed separately and will not proceed until the quote is approved. Free local pickup is available in Port Townsend or at our May pop-up in Seattle.

Condition:

Excellent antique condition. Minor surface wear consistent with age. Joints are secure, steel hardware is intact and varnished. Structurally sound and stable.

Dimensions:

  • Height: 74"
  • Width (at Base): 20.5"
  • Width (at Top): 12.5"
  • Width (Base when Open): 42.5"

Normandy Library Ladder

Regular price $1,250.00
Unit price
per 
French Origin
Secure payment
USA Based
Domestic Shipping

Your order ships carbon neutral

What Sets us apart

At Home in France, Trusted by Dealers

Sourced Slowly, With Intention

Personalized Aftercare & Shipping

Authenticity with Provenance and Care

Sustainably Imported, for People & Planet

About:

Antique French library ladder from Normandy, early 20th century. Handcrafted in dark-stained oak with nine flush-set steps and a folding frame, this piece was designed for both utility and refinement. The rear features a wooden X-brace, while a blackened steel stabilizing rod spans the structure, adding both strength and sculptural appeal. Mortise and tenon joinery keeps the form clean and secure, with each step seamlessly integrated into the frame. A removable top section offers versatility. Beautifully preserved, this ladder is suitable for decorative use or light practical function (up to 150 lbs), and folds neatly when not in use.

Shipping:

This item requires freight delivery. After purchase, you will be contacted within 72 hours with a custom shipping quote based on your location and the size of the item. Shipping will be billed separately and will not proceed until the quote is approved. Free local pickup is available in Port Townsend or at our May pop-up in Seattle.

Condition:

Excellent antique condition. Minor surface wear consistent with age. Joints are secure, steel hardware is intact and varnished. Structurally sound and stable.

Dimensions:

  • Height: 74"
  • Width (at Base): 20.5"
  • Width (at Top): 12.5"
  • Width (Base when Open): 42.5"

À la Source

Our ethos is to source with care for people, planet and objects. As a Franco-American team we believe in fair pricing at source, and supporting the French ecosystem as well as bringing beauty and history to the homes of collectors in the U.S. and beyond.

Why French Antiques?

As art dealers first, launching French Art Shop, as an international online destination for French antique paintings in 2017, we look at all our antique furniture and objects through the lens of designing around art and artful living.

French antiques are among the most sought-after in the world — not for their grandeur, but for their restraint. Shaped by regional materials and utilitarian needs, many of the most enduring pieces were made for farms, ateliers, and family homes. Their appeal lies in proportion, practicality, and a deep respect for craft. Patinated woods, hand-forged hardware, timeworn finishes — these details tell a quiet story of use and care. In a world that moves quickly, French antiques offer a slower kind of beauty: one that’s lived-in, considered, and lasting.

The world of Brocante

The French brocante is where the everyday past is preserved. These markets — part cultural ritual, part practical exchange — are where we source many of our pieces. Dealers arrive before dawn, setting out items passed down through trades, homes, and workshops. It’s a world that values utility and age, where a workbench or ceramic jar is appreciated not for perfection, but for what it has endured. We’ve spent years building trust with local vendors and private collectors, allowing us to access pieces rarely seen outside of France — and to share them with context and care. We also run antique buying and brocante tours in France, if you would like to experience this unique universe for yourself!

Antiques and sustainability

We live and work in France, which means our sourcing is grounded in daily life — not short buying trips. Over the past decade, we’ve built trust with regional dealers, restorers, and families who’ve spent generations in the trade. As a Franco-American team, with family in Normandy, we navigate both worlds: combining local relationships and cultural fluency with a Pacific Northwest design perspective. In order for antiques to be a sustainable trade long-term, the entire chain and ecosystem needs to be cared for and understood through principles of sustainability, which revolve around understanding antiques as a finite resource. It is our mission to include an ethos of fairness and education around French culture, which is really about benefitting French people and patrimony through fair pricing and understanding the true source and value of these pieces. We operate our business and interactions with care for antiques dealers, restorers, transporters, tradespeople, and the French families who pass on these heirlooms. Knowing our community of antiques lovers, Francophiles and collectors globally share this ethos is the win-win. Sustainability benefits everyone.