Materials: Ikea Kilby bookcase, Wood-grain contact paper
Description: Many people have re-painted their Kilby bookcases to get rid of the awful grey backing or otherwise covered them; nevertheless, with only a $6 roll of contact paper, you can make a Kilby bookcase look like a much more expensive bookshelf (*cough*Billy).
1. Purchase a Kilby bookcase ($25, Ikea) and a 24′ roll of wood-grain Con-Tact paper ($6, Home Depot – sold as “shelf liner”). You will have PLENTY of contact paper left over for other projects, too!
2. Assemble the Kilby bookcase with all but the backing.
3. Cover the backing with the contact paper. In the vertical orientation, the contact paper will not fit the whole way across, so I used the folds in the backing as cut guides (this gives the illusion of multiple planks and makes those folds disappear).
4. Attach the covered backing to the bookcase.
PS – I used the pine wood-grain contact paper. It certainly does not match the grain of the birch effect, but it matches the color and is not otherwise noticeable.
~ Dan, Maryland