4/9/2024 0 Comments Ikea hack dreamboxIn order to address the small gaps between the outermost Billys and the adjacent walls, plus the small gap between the top of the Billys and the ceiling and to create a smooth line across the top and further blend the Billys with the middle shelf portion, we used the 1” x 2” x 8 foot poplar boards to give a uniform look. I also wanted the middle shelf portion to be the same height as my top Billy shelves, so I determined what height my vertical cubby panels would need to be in order to place the top and bottom panels in line with the top Billy shelf and cut four Whitewood board panels to that size.ħ. I wanted this middle shelf portion to be flush with the Billys in front, so we also cut them down a bit lengthwise so they would line up with the front edge of the Billys. If adding the middle shelf portion, measure out the length between the two pairs of Billy shelves and cut two of the 1 x 12 x 8 ft Whitewood boards to that length using a circular saw, miter saw, or jig saw. We then drilled the inner bookcases to the outer bookcases so everything was attached.ĥ. drilling through the back of the bookcases. Because the back panel of Billy bookcases is not a solid wood material, we drilled the outermost bookcases to the walls perpendicular to the sofa wall vs. Secure your Billy bookcases to the wall, making sure to drill them into the studs at as many locations as possible. Line your bookcases up and make sure they fit correctly - my office has VERY uneven floors, and it turned out that the floors on the right side of the bookshelf wall were higher than on the left, meaning we had to cut down the top shelf extenders for the two right Billys a bit in order for them to fit.Ĥ. The Billy is designed in such a way that doesn’t allow for every cubby to be the exact same size, so determining what you want the placement to look like in advance is crucial before committing to filling in the adjustable shelf holes.ģ. Decide where you will ultimately want the adjustable shelves to live by playing around with different placement. Build your Billy bookshelves according to the instructions provided, only adding the fixed middle shelf and skipping the adjustable shelves for now.Ģ. Paint (I used Hidden Falls by Benjamin Moore in Satin on the shelves, and in Matte on the wall behind) Instructionsġ. Shellac-based primer (I used this one - it’s super important to use shellac-based because of the finish on the IKEA Billy bookcases) Miter Saw (to cut mitered angles for Baseboard, if using)Įlectric Sander and sandpaper (I like this one because it’s not too heavy for me) Materialsģ, 1-in x 12-in x 8-ft Whitewood Board for the middle shelf We approached the project differently in several ways, but it’s a great additional resource if you decide to take on a project like this! Tools I relied heavily on this very thorough DIY post that uses the same Billy bookshelf style from A Beautiful Mess. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the whole project: DIY Built-In Bookcase IKEA Hack Here are some inspiration boards I mocked up in Photoshop: Since IKEA doesn’t make any horizontal Billy products that would work to fill in the middle, we had to create that shelf from scratch. I think something about this design element really seals the deal in terms of making shelves look truly built-in. Even though I wish the shelves themselves were a bit deeper (they’re only about 10” deep), this coincidence of measurements was far too good to pass up.Īll my inspiration photos had one thing in common, and that was connecting shelves in the middle between the vertical shelves and above the sofa. I also knew I wanted to put a 72” sofa between the shelves, and oddly enough my room measurements worked out so that two of the 15 3/4” shelves would fit almost perfectly on either side of the sofa. My ceilings are slightly less than 8 feet high, so if you have 8 foot ceilings this size should be a perfect fit for you too. It just so happened that the size I chose - the 15 3/4” wide x 93 1/4 " tall shelves - was almost exactly the perfect height for my office ceiling. While IKEA carries a lot of styles of bookshelves that would work great for a built-in hack project, I decided on the Billy for a few reasons. Because I was already decorating on a budget I decided to DIY my built-ins with IKEA Billy bookcases, and luckily the internet is full of awesome resources from DIYers who have used these versatile and affordable shelves in their projects. If you’ve ever looked into custom cabinetry or shelves, you know that hiring someone to create them from scratch can be outrageously expensive.
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