Anyone with experience tricking out the Billy Bookshelves?

10 years ago

I would love to have some bookshelves in a corner in my LR.

I looked at the Billy Bookshelves at Ikea and I think they may work. The color is more of an off white, which I think will work with my trim, and the plan is to install them in the corner and trim them out with crown molding.

Any hints from those who have experience with this? I've read some blogs and they look great. I'm a little worried that in the end they will look kind of cheap; and won't look right in my LR. My thought is that if I don't like them there I could always install them in a bedroom or in the basement.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

runninginplace
10 years ago
There was a great thread on this a few years ago; someone who had done exactly that posted detailed instructions. You might want to do a search, not that others may not have some helpful ideas but the discussion I am thinking of gave lot of specific instructions.

I started a Billy bookcase wall in my daughter's room but pooped out after putting the bookshelves up and never got to the trim part. Oh well, there's always another project to put on the list!

Ann
runninginplace
10 years ago
Found it! Link to discussion is below; there are some great photos around the middle of the topic.

Here is a link that might be useful: Making Billy Bookcases Look Built In
Related Discussions
cleaning out book shelves
Q
Comments (24)
We sci fi/fantasy readers NEVER give back books, but collect them and love them, returning to them when nothing new has come our way. I rarely get anything new here in Israel, so I rely on the one, maybe two used shops in Haifa, where the pickin's are slim and new stuff is a luxury and very expensive. My partner wails and moans over the state of my two bookshelves (messy, crammed, etc.) but I know exactly what is where. Years ago, my beloved books, which I laboriously brought with me overseas, was stored at an acquaitance's home while I relocated. There was a family fight, and her brother in a pique threw every book into the garbage, and I only found two survivors to tell the tale. Woodchip first edition of Our Bodies Ourselves, other jewels of sci fi fantasy from the seventies, you name it, GONE. Since then I've never let anybody have power over my library. I would curl up and fade away without my books, like without my garden. WHat I can't explain is my refusal to throw out a huge amount of old magazines, like The Whole Earth Review (I have them from when it was the Coevolution Quarterly); Mothering; the Sun, etc. Why do they mean so much? NO answer. Oh well, if this were only my wierdest quirk........
...See More
Affordable Bookcases / Bookshelves
Q
Comments (3)
Hey charlikin. They're pretty decent. We were impressed with the quality when we got them (most of the pieces/shelving only needed minimal sanding). We had them replace 3 (out of many) shelves because of defects (on one of the corner shelves, a screw joining the two boards was coming through the shelf, and two small shelves appeared to have been made from an end run of plywood, so the edges were chipping. I did notice that a "brace" or cross board on the desk was installed upside down (!), while I was applying the final coat of poly (don't even ask how I missed that one through all the sandings and the two coats of poly, but it's in the back and not visible unless you crawl under the desk, so not a really big deal. We got ours from Golden Area Furniture in Middletown, NY (someone I knew had gotten bookcases from them and had wholeheartedly recommended them to me--I would recommend them without hesitation). They were great to work with and very helpful.
...See More
Arranging books etc. on bookshelves
Q
Comments (29)
I have too many books to be able to do what you are advising your client but I totally agree with you that it does make a bookshelf look nicer. My bookcases are in the back room where we have our home office, hardly anyone who visits sees that room so I don't worry about the shelves. My living room is a different matter, where all rooms converge I have a small, narrow secretary. It's impossible to walk into my house without seeing this piece of furniture so I do place more importance on how the shelves look. You asked about books and I'm showing you shelves of DVDs but that shouldn't matter, same idea. I used to have all the shelves packed with DVDs but it looked boring and didn't do this little secretary justice. So I selected just the boxed sets and those that were part of collections and the rest went into albums. For fun I put my tea cups on the same shelf with my Jane Austen movies so there is a relation between them. I see now that there is merit to thinning out a *book* collection and putting some away in order to replace them with other loved items you have. I stop and look at the shelves now, never did that before. Bookshelves are more interesting to look at when there are other things on it than just books. And with more breathing room you see the individual books, there isn't that same feeling of packed in clutter. Only when there are too few books (and too few accessories) do I question why the person bothered to buy or build the bookshelf to begin with. p.s...since you're a designer, if you see anything wrong in the way I've arranged things by all means let me know and I'll move them around!
...See More
Built in room divider bookshelves/storage?
Q
Comments (31)
Hey it worked. That's a good start. Thanks aok, Didn't address you before because I've written a reply about a half-dozen times to have it get lost in cyber space. Glare is a concern especially with no window treatments but there are ways alleviate that. Just rotating the couch will cut down on it a bit as much of the glare will come from the floor when the sun isn't hitting it directly. I would usually use some type of a scrim/screen when people want privacy/shade but don't want curtains/ blinds etc. Although I didn't show it I did guess at laying out the room as you also need to rearrange the furniture if you block off that access-way too. I rotated the coffee table and centered it on the fireplace put the two mission chairs next to the new unit and the red one off center of the edge of the table. The couch face the TV with the FP on the right and the buffet can go behind the couch with a scrim separating the two if it is needed. They are inexpensive to build and add "wall space" when needed. If you want to post the dimension from the column to the center of the FP and to the window wall along with an indication north and closest major city I can do a sun study to see how we can prevent the glare. Thanks jey
...See More
patty_cakes
10 years ago
Boy did this thread come at the right time~and thank you rn'inplace for the link! I've had my eye on the Billy's for over a year because I need something with very narrow depth. I first need to have the family room painted, before I can do anything. My tv is in a nice armoire that I don't want to get rid of, and it's in the wood tone, so i'll have to do the bookcases in the wood tone since I want everything to be uniform. Seeing the unit 'tricked out' definitely gets me motivated!
4boys2
10 years ago
If you google Billy Hack you'll find many.
I've had this one bookmarked 4ever.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2013/01/besta-billy-brass-bookcases/
sjhockeyfan325
10 years ago
Have you checked the IKEA fans' site forums and blogs - there are many threads, and many of them are very technical. ikeafans.com
amj0517
10 years ago
We are in the process of finishing our basement (framing it right now). I have a section where we will use Billy bookcases, following the instructions on the link below. I'll be sure to check out all the other links too!

Here is a link that might be useful: Just A Girl Blog
patty_cakes
10 years ago
Thanks again!! ;)
debbie1031
10 years ago
Check out ThriftDecorChic blog. She has a library with Billy bookcases that use molding to look like built-ins and great lighting. She's super helpful, too. If you have questions and e-mail her, she will tell you whatever you need to know, from her experience.

Anyone with experience tricking out the Billy Bookshelves?

Comments (8)

runninginplace

runninginplace

Related Discussions

patty_cakes

4boys2

sjhockeyfan325

amj0517

patty_cakes

debbie1031

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US