Mid-Century Ladderax 6-Bay Shelving System by Robert Heal for Staples Cricklewood, 1960s, Set of 6

A substantial mid-century Ladderax teak and black metal six bay shelving system, with desk and cabinets. Designed by Robert Heal for Staples. Labelled. Circa 1960s.

The photographs do not show the full six‑bay system assembled together. For clarity, the images illustrate a three‑bay and a two‑bay configuration, highlighting the flexibility of the components. There are numerous ways to arrange the system, and the smaller bays can be combined with the larger ladders to create the full six bay system.

The four full height black-finish steel ladders are the wall-leaning tapered design, made to sit against the wall at an angle. They do also have the original factory drill holes so they can be fixed to the wall.

The other three smaller ladders are flush to the wall. The system is very sturdy when complete, however I would always recommended that it is screwed to the wall. All ladders have swivel feet pads which are adjustable in height, handy if you have an uneven floor.

There are two fixing bolt locks for each unit, keeping them firmly in place. This gives the system excellent rigidity when assembled.

Overall the teak is in very good original condition showing some light marks with use. To note, the desk has a mark to the front drop, which is more visible from certain angles. There is also a small knock with a piece missing to the side edge on the right‑hand side of the desk. Please refer to the photographs. Depending on your chosen configuration, this area may not be visible when installed.

The wall‑leaning black ladders and one of the smaller ladders are in excellent, clean condition. The other two smaller ladders show some pitting and slight loss of the original paint in places; this paint loss is mostly confined to one side of one ladder and can be positioned so it is not visible when installed. According to the previous owners, these two smaller ladders were not regularly used and were stored in an outbuilding.

The interiors of the cabinets are in excellent clean condition, and the bird’s‑eye maple interior of the drinks cabinet is particularly striking — a beautiful contrast to the teak exterior. The hinges operate smoothly and the keys work the locks. The drops would have to be locked to avoid them from dropping, the keys can be removed. The drops are all very sturdy when used. The piece is veneered in teak.

This large‑scale configuration comprises:

• 4 × teak shelves (89 cm)
• 6 × teak shelves (59 cm)
• 1 × teak desk with pigeon hole interior
• 1 × teak drinks cabinet with bird’s‑eye maple interior
• 1 × teak cupboard
• 2 × teak glazed cabinets (59 cm)
• 1 × teak sliding‑door cabinet (59 cm)

Metal Structural Components

• 4 × full‑height wall leaning ladders (201 cm)
• 3 × low ladders (59 cm)
• 34 × metal support bars
• 12 × fixing bolts
• 3 × keys

When the 3 bays are put together, it measures 246cm wide.

As a six bay this measures - 427cm (14ft) wide.