Faiza Saqib
Over the years, the IKEA BILLY bookcase has become a statement piece in many homes. DIYers have transformed this pretty plain and uninspiring piece of furniture by creating their own statement pieces, ultimately changing the way a home looks and feels.
The BILLY bookcase's budget-friendly price tag and lack of any real character in itself makes it the perfect canvas for creative IKEA hacks. Plus, there is a wide range of set-ups to choose fromfrom the Scandinavian furniture brand to help you tailor this bookshelf to the space you're designing.
Ready to feel inspired? I know I am. We've curated a list of some of themost innovative and stylish IKEA BILLY bookcase hacks, we've encountered.
1. Create a Reading Room
Who said bookcases need to be boring? Think outside of the box and add color and dimension to your space.
Think bold, bright, and versatile; this IKEA Built-in hack created by Instagrammer Allie Lynch Ljubojevic (@allielylj) is a showstopper. Drawing a retro feel into the space, Allie tells us how the idea came about.
"I've always dreamed of having a reading room, and when my husband and I purchased our first home — a fixer-upper built in the 90s — one of the first projects I worked on was giving these Ikea BILLY bookcases a more custom look and feel in a room that was very much a blank canvas," she explains.
Allie explains how you can create the same look and says: "After deciding on the quantity of bookcases you’ll need, assemble the bookcases per the instructions and attach to the wall. I added BILLYbookcase height extender units to bring the bookcases as close to the ceiling as possible."
To give these bookcases a custom look, Allie says she, "built out the profile by attaching 2x2s along the top and bottom, and 3x3s along all vertical edges. Then I added crown molding to the top and baseboard along the bottom to further integrate them into the space. Place the shelves according to bookcase instructions. The shelves can’t be moved again once placed, so be sure you’re happy with the spacing."
She continues: "Conceal all the shelving hardware and screw holes by covering them with a spackling compound like Drydex. Once dried down, sand flat. Prime the bookcases with a shellac-based primer like Zinsser BIN, which will adhere to the IKEA melamine. Paint the bookcases to match the wall color."
Lastly, the DIY'er says, "I recommend using an enamel-based paint like Benjamin Moore Advance, which gives a durable, professional-looking finish."
2. Design a Seamless Wall-to-Wall Shelf
Elegant in every way, this built in shelving is perfect for books, frames and even your favorite plants.
DIY-er Kaari, known as @thesommerhome on social media, and her husband wanted to create a beautiful yet practical shelf to store and display their books and collectibles.
The units they found in shops were too expensive, so they started Googling budget options and came up with their own IKEA BILLY bookcase hack. "I came across a few IKEA storage hacks and decided that that may be the perfect solution."
"We caulked and painted the piece using Benjamin Moore Simply White and prepped with a Zinsser primer before painting," shares Kaari. And to enhance the piece, they added hardwired lighting and wood trims. The piece now looks like a part of the home's original architecture. It adds oodles of function and style to their living room storage.
Price: £80.19
Quantity: Set of 2
3. Create the Perfect Alcove Shelving
Color drench your bookshelf to match your homes overall aesthetic
Home renovator and interior designer Felicity Hinchliffe's (@fjhinteriors) living room was completely transformed with two of the best IKEA products — the IKEA BILLY and HAVSTA.
"The whole house is a renovation project, and I wanted to create this area, with the log burner as the focal point in the living room," she says. "Storage space is very important for us and I also wanted somewhere to display decorative items and books, so this hack helped to achieve that."
Felicity used two HAVSTA base cabinets and two BILLY Bookcases for the unit. She used the HAVSTA cabinets for the bottom of the built-ins and then cut down the two BILLY bookcases to sit on top of them. "I filled the holes on the insides of the bookcase and sanded these down," she shares. She then used decorators caulk around the back and sides of the shelves to cover any small gaps, and primed all the units using primer paint.
For the finishing touch, she painted the unit Farrow & Ball's Pigeon for a cool, contemporary feel.
4. Build an Easily Accessible Pantry
Looking for your favorite snack? Check your bookshelf!
DIY-er Kellie(@breakfastatkellies) loves baking, but her existing kitchen pantry did not have enough space to include all her baking products. "It wasn't functional for someone who had four different types of flours, let alone a cupboard full of other dry ingredients," she shares.
And so, she came up with a great IKEA kitchen hack using two Billy bookcases and lined them up to the ceiling, attaching them with wall brackets. She then applied MDF to all the seams and used concave trim on the back of the shelves to ensure the bookcase had no gaps.
Once all of my moldings and panels were applied, Kellie then "dapped the entire bookcase and then sanded it down for a smooth finish." To paint it, she used Benjamin Moore Advance paint, which dries with an enamel finish.
5. Create a Stylish Display Cabinet
Style and elegance in one. You can display your drinks or home decor in your bookshelf.
This contemporary IKEA BILLY hack adds oodles of character to this dining room. Home renovator Sophia Kostich (@diydoctorsoph) designed this piece in just a few simple steps.
"The project started with a BILLY bookcase from IKEA and I bought doors to go with it — the ones specifically with glass at the top half, and opaque at the bottom half," she explains. She wanted to update the piece with a pastel palette which would go well with the natural wood tones in the room. She used peel-and-stick samples from Lick in two soft sage greens and a pale dusky pink to help decide the final hue.
For the cabinet doors, she purchased some moldings from her local hardware store to attach to the lower half of the bookcase and then used No More Nails glue to stick them on. Finally, to dress the piece, she used brass handles for the doors. "The final layer was some polyvine matt varnish to protect it before styling," she concludes. If you ask us, this also makes for a smart, stylish home bar storage idea.
6. Add Color to the Room With the IKEA Billy Bookcase
Bright, beautiful and adding a pop of color to the home, we're loving this bookshelf.
Designer Claire Douglas elevated her built-in by drenching it in a stylish mint green hue. This makeover celebrates the enduring power of the color green, which remains one of the most sought-after tones. Even before picking up the paintbrush, Claire's built-in BILLY was already something to behold, as it wonderfully took over the living room and the fireplace. However, the lick of paint truly turned the space into a style haven.
"The changes to these built-in shelves were only cosmetic and really straightforward to do," Claire says. The designer went from a white tone (similar to that of Farrow & Ball's All White) to a green and peachy pastel palette. She chose Farrow and Ball's Setting Plaster for the inside of her shelves. Meanwhile, the green is a Deep Breath from Decorating Centre Online's Wellness Collection.
"I probably had a bit too much fun with this DIY project, but that's the great thing about decorating in your own home — you can make it as mad as you like," Claire adds. We’re taking this as our cue to experiment with a new paint idea ASAP.
7. Create an Incredible Library Wall
A pop of color makes for a bookshelf look much bigger.
If you're blessed with ample space, creating a home library wall will add to your elegant living room's aesthetic, and we're currently loving this pop of blue here. "When we first saw the scale of this room we knew it deserved a library wall,' says Sarah from (@s.e.w.athome). "But being over five and a half meters wide, we also knew we couldn't afford fitted cabinetry, so we took seven BILLY bookcases with height extenders and Oxberg doors, and we set to work."
"We decided we didn't want to use the back panels so that you could see the wall color behind, and as a result, we flipped them upside down so that the backs of the height extenders were hidden at the bottom of the bookcases," says Sarah.
Sarah continues: "This also gave us something to fix when moving to the top. We built a plinth to raise the bookcases high enough to add skirting to the bottom, and we then added molding between the vertical joins. In preparation for painting them, we primed them with Zinsser BIN primer and then used furniture paint for the color."
To finish them, the homeowner says she "chose antique brass pull handles, and I finished them off with some colorful tassels. It was a fair bit of work, but we saved a fortune, and we're so happy with the result." To get a similar look, We love these Heritage Cabinet Pull Steps from Wayfair, priced at just £10.99, or these Set of 2 Madrid 28cm Smooth T Bar Door Handles, priced at £16, from Dunelm.
8. Make Built-in Shelves With Two IKEA BILLY Bookcases
Style your bookshelf with bright foliage — trust us — it makes a difference to the space.
With metallic wallpaper and lighting — and some creative styling — this designer IKEA hack featuring a BILLY bookcase hack is the epitome of innovation.
"The wall width that I had to work with was 175cm, and as the BILLY bookcase is 80cm wide; I knew I had space for two of the bookcases," says Melanie Lissack (@melanielissackinteriors). "I purchased two of the cheapest versions of the BILLY. As the ceiling in this room is high and I wanted to make the most of the wall space, I also purchased two of the 'BILLY Height Extension Kits' to get in another level of shelving."
Melanie adds, "Before screwing the bookcases to the wall I had threaded through an electrical extension bar so that the lights could be plugged in around the back of the bookcase. I also 'pimped up' the unit using several decorative moldings and beading."
We're here for it!
9. Use the BILLY bookcase to Create Art Deco-Inspired Built ins
bold in every way, this bookshelf has a unique color contrast we're swooning over.
Renovator Tamara Smith (@mygrandparentschair) decided she wanted a bright, sophisticated living room storage piece but on a budget. And for that, she experimented with this IKEA furniture hack. She chose a bare wall in this space and removed the baseboard along the bottom of the wall so the shelving could sit flush.
She also created a level base for the shelves to sit on using 2 x 3 lumber frames, drilling directly into the floor. She bought three white BILLY Bookcases, as well as three height extenders to create a base underneath for the bookshelves to sit on. "To ensure the flatpacks were sturdy, I reinforced them by nailing directly into the sides and back to keep all the components in place," says Tamara.
To create the arches, she used a 1/8-inch tempered hardboard and penciled out the shape. Once she'd cut them out with a jigsaw, it was just a case of fixing them to the shelves.
After the frames were all sorted, she sanded them and added two coats of primer. For the exterior paint, she used white BEHR semi-gloss enamel; for the contrasting interior of the shelves, she used two coats of Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black.
10. Design a Bespoke Library at Home
Minimal and clean, this bookshelf is perfect for a minimalists home.
Designer Claire Douglas re-invented the IKEA BILLY into an eye-catching and bespoke IKEA shelving hack that looks like a library.
She experimented with the positions of the flatpack units before fixing them to her wall. She added MDF strips over the joining to make it look thicker. And then, she filled the gaps down the sides of the wall. For the base, she added a skirting board that concealed the individual bookcase bases. She also added pre-drilled shelf holes and inserted MDF panels with poly filler.
To decorate the unit, she added cut foliage and greenery from the garden to help fill the gaps and give a more natural and rustic feel. Claire tells us: "I've also picked up a few bits from some online shops recently and paired them with some antique books to create an interesting mix of old and new color and texture."
11. Create a Cozy Sleeping Space in the Kids' Bedroom
A pop of wallpaper beside a bookshelf goes a long way.
Designer Johanna Hollstrand (@villaalvsjo) transformed a minimalist kids' room into a wonderland using one of the best IKEA hacks involving IKEA BILLY, PLATA and HJÄLPA.
She bought the BILLY and picked up their PLATSA system and eight HJÄLPA drawers. Even the mattress is from IKEA. She erected the frame from the IKEA frames before adding a top shelf in oak veneer. The rest was site-built with MDF boards and a curtain rail attached to the ceiling.
"I painted the nooks in a charcoal hue to complement the surrounding walls," says Johanna. "Then, I plastered Woodland — designed by Fleur Harris for Jimmy Cricket — on the main wall." The toys and pillows were added in, which contributed to the forest theme. The overall look is fascinating and wonderful.
12. Fashion a Stylish Display Cabinet
Go for a half hidden, half display bookshelf to store your home decor finds.
A smart, well-thought out BILLY bookcase hack can result in a versatile piece of furniture that can elevate your home. Jen Rothbury (@crack_the_shutters), created a beautiful display cabinet with her IKEA BILLY bookcase for a fabulous narrow hallway.
"I decided to use a BILLY bookcase with Oxberg glass doors as it was the perfect size to fit in a gap we had on our landing and would make a perfect linen cupboard/display cabinet," she says. "Firstly, I gave it all a sand down to take off the shine from the laminate finish. We used 6mm thick MDF and cut-out arches for both top sections of the glass and then used decorative reeded pine moldings cut to length along the bottom half of the glass doors."
"We used No More Nails adhesive to stick the MDF and moldings, caulked the gaps, primed and painted in Craig and Rose Dried Plaster, and added new handles from Plank Hardware," says Jen.
13. Transform IKEA BILLY Bookcases Into a Sleek and Stylish Mudroom
Change the game by adding the Billy bookshelf to your mudroom.
Steph (@henrikjunehome) turned a garage load of BILLY bookcases into a fortuitous event and created the perfect little IKEA mudroom hack.
"When we moved into our home, the previous owners left a garage full of BILLY bookcases for storage," says Steph. "This area became the primary way we entered our home, so, shoes, jackets, gloves, helmets, leashes — you name it — were stored on open shelves here."
"As you can imagine, a family of four with a large pup can accumulate a lot of stuff, which leads to an eyesore of a view with open storage," says Steph. "So, to keep it all at bay, I bumped out the IKEA BILLY bookcases and secured them to studs. Added height extenders, Oxberg doors, and bins to contain the chaos." Looking for the perfect height extenders? These Ezprotekt Adjustable Furniture Risers from Amazon should do the trick.
"Following this, I added a bench, floating shelves, and budget shiplap to finish the look," says Steph. "The shiplap cost $30 in total to make. I am a beginner builder and learned how to do this from YouTube and Instagram. So, all in all, I would say this is a doable DIY. Now, we have a catchall spot that holds all the shoes, all the necessities, and all the chaos at the small entryway... all behind closed doors."
14. Construct a Chic Kitchen Cabinet
Think about how you want your bookshelf to function and what you want to use it for.
Bookcases can make for great kitchen shelf ideas for storage, too, and make for the perfect addition to a modern kitchen.
"When searching for the perfect display cabinet for our dining nook, we wanted something that felt high-end and embodied a timeless, traditional design," says Katie (@ouracaciagrovehome). "After hours of searching and considering different cabinets from interior design companies, we concluded that the best way to make what we wanted was to build it. And that’s where the IKEA BILLY bookcase came in."
"We added legs, primed and painted the entire bookcase, attached beadboard to the back, and added custom features, panes, and hardware to give it a more high-style look," says Katie.
By transforming this BILLY, Katie saved hundreds of dollars. It’s amazing how pieces of furniture can make a house feel more like a cozy home!
15. Add contemporary Wall Units Around Your Fireplace
Books by the fireplace is quite a calming experience and we love the way that's done here.
For a modern, sleek storage and TV mounting idea, take a basic IKEA BILLY bookcase and elevate it with new handles and modern black paint.
"We wanted to add some contrast to the large open space and decided to go with this bolder, but still calming, IKEA BILLY bookcase, cement fireplace, and cozy furniture combination," says Carolin Friese, interior stylist at @house_to_home.interiors.
"We changed the handles, and the contractor added the header and molding so it looks custom," explains Caroline. "We used another smaller unit for the extra material and painted it matte black for an on-trend finish."
16. Craft Beautiful Built-In Alcove Shelving
Double the beauty with this BILLY bookshelf that takes quite the artistic twist with its built-in solution.
Fitted alcove shelving for a living room corner can be very expensive but, with an IKEA BILLY bookcase hack, it's affordable as well as stylish.
"I made a raised platform for them both to stand on, at skirting board height, out of CLS timber screwed securely into the back wall and a piece of MDF," says Liz (@prettyprospectcottage). "I put the bookcases on top and fixed them to the wall with small blocks of CLS timber and metal brackets. To make them look fully built-in, I made a frame surround for the bookcases using molding that matched the paneling details elsewhere in the room. I added a piece of skirting board along the front bottom edge and had a strip of timber cut to fit the gap in the middle."
"I used wood filler to fill all of the shelf adjuster holes and any other gaps and gave the whole bookcase sand all over," says Liz. "I then painted them to match the walls and finished them with a coat of matte varnish."
17. Showcase a Stunning Fluted Vanity Unit in Your Bedroom
Bring beauty into your home with a versatile bookshelf that seamlessly fits into your home.
Get a celebrity-worthy dressing room with this high-style IKEA dresser hack on a low budget. We love the way this design seamlessly fits into the home, and at first glance, you would not be able to guess that it's made from an IKEA BILLY bookcase.
Robyn (@the_house_acc) created this stunning fluted unit for a covetable glow-up. "I used two BILLY bookcases and two IKEA Oxberg glass doors," says Robyn. "I used Frenchic Paint's Black Jack for the doors before adding reeded adhesive film to create the on-trend fluted glass effect."
Quite the style steel and perfect for those small bedroom ideas.
18. Elevate the Bookcase With a Modern Rustic Shelving Makeover
Rustic shelving is a unique way to spruce up your space.
Ruth (@mrs_macs_home) is a dab-hand when it comes to IKEA hacks, and we love this clever IKEA BILLY bookcase hack and how it allows adding so much texture and interest to this neutral living room.
"We first removed the skirting board so the units could go flush against the wall," says Ruth. "We had to raise the bookcases to accommodate the height of the skirting so attached adjustable kitchen plinth feet to each unit. Once all the units were in position and correct height, we glued and screwed the units together and anchored them to the wall. Then simply refitted the skirting board to finish."
Just add books, glassware, oversized bottles, logs, rattan baskets (such as this Brambly Cottage Wicker Basket from Wayfair) and objet d'art for a super-chic modern rustic finish.
19. Transform It Into a Boho-Luxe Rattan Kitchen Dresser
Bring a calm exterior to your BILLY bookcase as a busy shelf is not everyone's cup of tea.
With a little imagination and a lot of rattan roll, you can take an IKEA BILLY bookcase from boring to showstopping. Wondering how? Interior stylist Kathryn Hawkes shows us how with the transformation of her BILLY into a unique piece of furniture. In fact, her business Fronteriors inspires IKEA enthusiasts to get creative with their furniture in many different ways.
At first, Kathryn admits she was reluctant to tamper with the original BILLY, so she initially decorated the bookshelf with some books and accessories. But she inevitably fell for the allure of rattan and decided to experiment with her shelves and give the piece a glow-up. She began by picking up some cane webbing, which she passed to her carpenter friend, who converted them into doors which she then fit on the BILLY.
She painted the entire piece a nice color with Soothing Beige by the Norwegian paint company, JOTUN, and decided to place the unit, front and centre in the living room. This has to be one of the easiest but effective hacks ever!
20. Create Arched Shelving for High-End Built-Ins
Arching shelves are classy and add depth to a space.
For the small home office, a great storage idea is a BILLY bookcase. "Firstly, we had to figure out how many BILLY bookcases and how many height extensions we would need for our space," says Rachael (@firsthouseonfinn). "For our nine-foot ceilings, we needed two height extensions per bookcase, so a total of four BILLY bookcases and eight height extensions. It took a day just to put all of these together."
"For the front face and arches, my husband used 1/2 inch MDF because it was so cheap ($20/sheet)," says Rachael. "To make the arches, he laid out the spacing on a sheet of MDF and cut two circles out using a router and a circle jig."
Once the holes were cut, Rachel says her husband began to cut the MDF down the center to get a total of four arches. "He nailed the arches to the bookcases, reattached the crown molding at the top, and then applied filler and sanded to make everything smooth," she adds.
21. Produce a Wall-Mounted Display Unit
This BILLY bookcase perfectly fits within the home and blends in beautifully.
Would you believe this design-driven wall display unit is a collection of IKEA BILLY bookcases? Not only does it add functionality, it also creates a cozy living room space.
"I wanted to create a wall-mounted storage/display unit but without the costly price tag," says Malcolm (@designsixtynine). "With IKEA BILLY bookcases in mind, I measured the wall to see which configuration would work best to fill the space. Two 800mm and two 400mm bookcases are mounted over four 600mm kitchen bridging units. These are secured into wooden batons, which are screwed into the studs of the wall."
"The bookcases rest on these (upside down, with the top removed) and are in turn screwed to the wall," says Malcolm. "The joins are covered with wooden molding and the base plinths (which are now at the top) are covered with crown molding. The whole thing was given a coat of Zinsser primer and painted the same color as the wall to help blend it into the room."
FAQs
Why Is IKEA'S BILLY So Popular?
The origins of the IKEA BILLY are interesting. In 1978, an IKEA designer named Gillis Lundgren sketched it on the back of a napkin, worried he would forget it. The design was instantly popular within the brand, and now, as per statistics, there are 60 million people worldwide.
This piece is unique because it is a bare-bones, functional bookshelf and looks great as is. But it is also a blank canvas for creativity. DIYers for years have repurposed it — everything from a wine rack, TV unit, and room divider to a baby-changing station.
How Do I Make a BILLY Bookcase Look High End?
If you're going in for an IKEA BILLY Bookcase hack and want to give the new piece a high-end look, consider adding some decorative moldings to it. You could purchase those at a store or make some yourself with plywood. Alternatively, you could add lovely wallpaper or paint the front to give the unit a truly high-end look.
Other than that, you could attach multiple units to the piece and add trim. You could also swap in new handles for the piece and choose the more trendy handle finishes. Finally, consider adding texture to the surface for a refined look. There is a wide variety of textural paints available on the market. From sand texture paint, limewash, suede finish, and combed texture, choose a type that will go well with your interiors.
Which Doors Fit a BILLY Bookcase?
The possibilities are endless. You can personalize your BILLY with wooden, glass, and rattan doors or even do away with doors if you want to create a more open storage piece.
IKEA has a wide range of BILLY doors to choose from and the selection is quite unique. Prices also range from £15 to over £100 — so ensure you give IKEA a browse to see what suits you.
Can You Paint Over a BILLY Bookcase?
Yes, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Painting IKEA furniture can feel tough at times because it is finished in a seemingly impenetrable laminate. The key is sanding, painting, and drying repeatedly.
So budget your time and paint costs accordingly. Consider investing in a good primer, like the Sherwin Williams Extreme Bond Primer after lightly sanding the BILLY and wiping it down. Then use a high-quality paint such as a chalk paint or a mineral paint for the piece. You'll need a paint brush, foam roller and drop cloths for it.
Over the years, IKEA's BILLY Bookcase has become quite the phenomenon, and we've enjoyed seeing how people's creations have come to life. From built-in storage to chic displays, this smart and dynamic bookcase can do much.
"The simplicity of the IKEA BILLY bookcase design makes it the perfect — and budget-friendly — piece to create bespoke built-in shelving to suit your needs and aesthetic," says Debbie Black, managing editor at Livingetc.com. "It's no surprise, then, that it's often an IKEA hacker's go-to, for its versatility and affordability. With BILLY height extension kits available, too, the opportunities are endless."
