© Provided by Food52
By the time you read this sentence, IKEA has probably sold another one of these to someone, somewhere in the world. And by the time you've read this one, they've probably sold another.
No, it's not their ingenious lamp with a built-in speaker or their surprisingly amazing meatballs (though probably those, too). It's the Billy bookcase, an IKEA design classic. With adjustable shelves and the ability to stack (when properly and safely anchored to the wall), the various bookshelves in the Billy collection have become must-have staples, flying off those super high IKEA shelves since the first version launched in 1979.
© Provided by Food52- By the time you read this sentence, IKEA has probably sold another one of these to someone, somewhere in the world. And by the time you've read this one, they've probably sold another.
- Do you want to stop your books falling off the end of your IKEA IVAR shelf units? I did, so I made some bookends for my IVAR that work perfectly. These natural wood bookends fit perfectly using shelf mounting pins on the Ivar uprights to create simple, yet flexible bookends to stop your books.
The pair of bookends are the shape of a half-circle, then cut in half again to create the two bookends. The marble color is polished white with soft brown details. Above the white marble, a black line design creates a modern and geometric design. BAKHASARE Bookend, white With BAKHASARE book-end in powder-coated steel you can easily divide a shelf in your bookcase. A smart solution if you want to store books and display your favorite things, side by side. You simply clip the book-ends onto the shelf to support your books.
But the real reason for this humble bookcase collection's cult following is its ability to be customized, hacked, and DIYed into something unrecognizable: a chic standalone cabinet, inset shelves beside a fireplace, or luxe-looking, custom built-ins for a fraction of the cost of actual built-ins.
Don't believe that these simple bookshelves can do anything? Just take a look at these 11 I-can't-believe-it's-IKEA transformations.
Are those pricey custom built-ins? Nope, it's Billys, cleverly disguised. A Beautiful Mess built out one wall of their snug library with the IKEA bookshelves, trimmed the edges with moulding and a bit of lumber, and painted it all the same seafoam color as the rest of the room for a totally built-in look we'd never guess was actually seven Billy units put together.
2. Caned Cabinet
This one wins for charm: With two custom caned doors and a subtle coat of paint, House of Hawkes' Billy becomes a chic side cabinet that makes a statement in its own right.
3. Custom-Looking Display Shelves
It seems the Billy was made for the awkward empty nooks beside fireplaces. Hacking a couple of built-ins with the bookshelves and some trim—as blogger Place of My Taste did here—is a lot less expensive than building actual built-ins.
As testament to Billy's popularity the world over, this hack comes from Kristina Steinmetz, the German-born, Canada-based architect/blogger behind Ich Designer, who fitted a wall of Billy shelves with sliding doors made of oriented strand board for good-looking paperwork storage.
5. Wallpapered Shelves
Our favorite part of the romantic built-ins that designer Melanie Lissack hacked in her own sitting area? The charming lights down the center (followed closely by the crackled-gold wallpapered interiors).
6. Clean-Lined Library Shelves
Homemade Bookends
Would you believe this clean-lined wrap-around library is actually Billys lining the walls? It's true, and spotted on the Instagram feed of Kristina Budchanin.
7. Modern Built-Ins
Proof that Billy built-ins can look super modern: House to Home Interiors built out a bare wall in a new-build house and slotted in a TV, low fireplace, and the bookcases, painted black, for a cozy living room.
8. Floating Shelf Unit
Above: This impressive wall-mounted shelf unit by Malcolm Begg, the blogger behind Design Sixty Nine, floats off of the floor, 'creating the illusion of space,' as he writes. And yes, it's Billy again: four bookcases on top of four drawers, with cornicing on top to polish it off.
This one wins for charm: With two custom caned doors and a subtle coat of paint, House of Hawkes' Billy becomes a chic side cabinet that makes a statement in its own right.
3. Custom-Looking Display Shelves
It seems the Billy was made for the awkward empty nooks beside fireplaces. Hacking a couple of built-ins with the bookshelves and some trim—as blogger Place of My Taste did here—is a lot less expensive than building actual built-ins.
As testament to Billy's popularity the world over, this hack comes from Kristina Steinmetz, the German-born, Canada-based architect/blogger behind Ich Designer, who fitted a wall of Billy shelves with sliding doors made of oriented strand board for good-looking paperwork storage.
5. Wallpapered Shelves
Our favorite part of the romantic built-ins that designer Melanie Lissack hacked in her own sitting area? The charming lights down the center (followed closely by the crackled-gold wallpapered interiors).
6. Clean-Lined Library Shelves
Homemade Bookends
Would you believe this clean-lined wrap-around library is actually Billys lining the walls? It's true, and spotted on the Instagram feed of Kristina Budchanin.
7. Modern Built-Ins
Proof that Billy built-ins can look super modern: House to Home Interiors built out a bare wall in a new-build house and slotted in a TV, low fireplace, and the bookcases, painted black, for a cozy living room.
8. Floating Shelf Unit
Above: This impressive wall-mounted shelf unit by Malcolm Begg, the blogger behind Design Sixty Nine, floats off of the floor, 'creating the illusion of space,' as he writes. And yes, it's Billy again: four bookcases on top of four drawers, with cornicing on top to polish it off.
Ikea Shelving Units
9. Simple Painted Shelves
We really like the simplicity of these display shelves by Live Loud Girl. With three Billy bookcases fitted together and painted the same color as the walls, it's an easy way to make shelves look a little bit custom without tearing apart the entire room.
Ikea Inreda Bookends
10. Built-in Library
Use this built-in Billy bookcase library hack—made up of Billys in differing sizes—executed by blogger Southern Revivals as inspiration to create a user-friendly and beautiful office.
11. stylish mudroom
Ikea Storage Cubes
Last but not least, this floating (!) mudroom storage hack in a modern-eclectic style—complete with wooden crates, woven baskets, and crates with leather pulls, via blogger House Homemade.
What's your favorite IKEA product ever? Tell us in the comments below!
Ikea Bookends For Sale
