Materials: Billy Bookcases
Description: I got this great idea from a post on Centsational Girl and I had to have it for myself! We made our Billy Bookcases into built-ins by following these simple steps:
1. Measure your space. (Ours was 210 inches long)
2. Buy your bookcases - We got 4 Billys with extended depth and height, 2 shorter (in width) bookcases and a TV stand and overhead storage. These items totaled approximately 205 inches.
3. Build up the space on the flooring with wood boards so that when you place your Billys on them the bottom shelf will be flush with the height of your baseboard.
4. Assemble bookcases and place against wall on boards in the order that you want them built in. The outer bookcases should be pushed completely against the outside walls and the remaining bookcases should be evenly spaced apart (if your bookcases don't fill the entire space)
5. Measure and apply Baseboard & crown molding.
6. Apply smaller molding (we used 2 1/4 inch) where each bookcase meets to cover the gap.
Decorate and enjoy!
* Because the smaller (in width) bookcases were not as deep we had to pull them away from the wall to keep the front of the shelves flush. This required us to anchor the shelf to the others and to the wall to prevent any shifting.
See more of the built in Billy.
~ Shana, Roseville
Nice!!
ReplyDeleteLike a boss. Well done.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
ReplyDeleteVery nice!
ReplyDeleteThis looks fantastic! I am planning to do the same project, and I was wondering how it would look with the narrower Billys mixed in given how the depths are different. Bookmarking this hack!
ReplyDeleteHow do you clean the dusts?! Everything looks soooooo crowded :( It must kill to clean all the dusts...
ReplyDeleteReally? What about a compliment? Think maybe you can through one in there? As meticulous as the project is, I am sure they are meticulous with keeping a clean house.
DeleteThis isn't mean or negative.
Delete1. How do you clean the dusts?! - Question
2. Everything looks soooooo crowded - Opinion
3. It must kill to clean all the dusts... Conjecture
This is a comment box, not a cheerleading box. People, please learn the difference. Unless the person is being a horribly offensive troll, lighten up. If we all answered "well done" it would be robotic and reading these posts would be pointless.
@ The poster
- I also wonder how you keep everything dust free. It does look crowded, specifically the horizontal books. I really want to know if you have some tips because I like the horizontal look but it would be tedious to keep dust free.
@ Anyonymous - If you never post that it looks crowded, the poster never knows that you think it looks crowded. There is no potential for a dialog between posters, and the posts would become boring.
-Peter in Bavaria
It does not look crowded, you haven't seen crowded yet :-)
DeleteI like minimalistic interiors and for me it meats the criteria - it is neat and tidy and looks well presented and organized. As for the dust - it takes probably less than you think...
The dust question is valid. My place collects a lot of dust because I have no control over the filters used in my apartment that I rent. Plus, since the addition of a second pet I'll never buy open bookcases again- doors all the way for less tedious cleaning. And I understand the "crowded" statement as well...for those that prefer more sparseness to the walls, a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall bookcase will look cramped no matter how well organized it is. It's a matter of personal preference.
DeleteThey probably just remove everything and wipe down all the shelves.
DeleteLove it! The Billy is becoming one of my favorite IKEA pieces!
ReplyDeleteOh....My.....G-d.........unbelieveably gorgeous, functional, and looks like it just came out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Can you com visit my house and see what kind of magic you can do?
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Looks like it was always there/meant to be there. And I love the consistent pops of yellow. Great job!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful job! I am re-doing a closet, pantry, and living room-- I just may have to fit this idea in somewhere.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful, it's so cheerful and pretty. I'm jealous of your wonderful imagination to visualise and implement such a project!
ReplyDeletebeautiful. do you probably a list of parts used? and how much did it cost to make it?
ReplyDeleteWell, it looks nice - but I'm not so sure it's gonna look nice in five years from now. I've never seen a Billy that didn't look worn and used after a few years. (They're cheap for a reason). I'd recommend something a bit more sturdy than the Billys for a project like this.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Billy not so good quality...
DeleteVery nice work. I am now eyeing up the long wall in my kitchen diner and wondering if we could squeeze a set like this in to streamline the room a little.
ReplyDeleteThat is amazing! It looks like a high-end bookshelf.
ReplyDeleteI love the yellows!
ReplyDeletei like! where did you get the Baseboard & crown molding?
ReplyDeleteVery nice use of the Billy units -- but two questions. First, where did you get the TV stand, is it an IKEA piece? I haven't found it in the Ikea catalogue or website. Second, what do you mean by "extended depth" of the Billy units? Tks.
ReplyDeleteBob
Simple, but very effective. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI'm new to Ikea Hacking, so I'm a little confused by this step
ReplyDelete"3. Build up the space on the flooring with wood boards so that when you place your Billys on them the bottom shelf will be flush with the height of your baseboard. "
Can someone elaborate?
The explanation is better stated in the original source.
Deletehttp://www.centsationalgirl.com/2011/11/from-billys-to-built-ins/
Really love it! I plan on giving it a try soon, but I have one question: the Ikea website only lists the overhead storage shelf with a depth of 11", not 15". How did you get the shelf to sit flush with the 15" bookcases? Is it connected to the wall in anyway? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think this looks great. So bright and cheerful. I hate to dust but I think I would be happy while dusting this!
ReplyDeleteDid you build it on top of carpet? I can't quite tell from the picture. Trying to decide how to do this in my house. I have carpet now but want hardwood in the future.
DeleteGreat Job! This looks so nice!! And I LOVE the pops of yellow! Very cheerful.
ReplyDeleteCan we get some close up shots of the joins and the crowning please. Like to get a better idea of how you did it :)
ReplyDeletei would like to see this too, i wanted to know about the gaps between the units. did you just cover them up or were they filled in beforehand?
DeleteAt the person asking about the dust...one word~ SWIFFER! The idea is fabulous and it looks great!
ReplyDeleteA great finished project, we have a similar one without all of the fancy mouldings because it actually fits perfectly in the space we have. We never got around to doing the mouldings (though we did consider it). It still looks brilliant (15 years old), and is full to the rim with books. If you are worried about dust, get a good vacuum, one with a dusting brush. Dyson seems to have the best dusting brush, not nec. the best vacuum.
ReplyDeleteFab job. Ikea is the way to go. Most cost effective and gorgeous if installed properly like you've done. All our bedroom built-in closets are ikea pax system with fillers/mouldings installed by my contractor. No one knows they are ikea. What did we do before ikea???
ReplyDeleteLooks great and easy to do. My ten Billy bookcases are full of books and need to be turned into a built-in feature with the addition of a piece of wooden worktop shelving for a tv. On my "To do" list.
DeleteGreat job ! How did you attach the crown molding and the molding in between the seems of the Billy's...? Thanks.....
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff my love and I will definitely try this.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Dennis & Lilian
www.africankingandqueen.com
Fantastic idea, we are looking to do this in our new apartment. which tv unit and overhead did you use? thank you
ReplyDelete