INGREDIENTS:
1 BILLY bookcase, white
1 BILLY extra shelf, white
2 saloon hinges
2 IKEA table-runner (GULLIRIS and MÄRIT here)
1 roll of self-adhesive foil
circa 1 liter of paint (optional)
STEP 1: UNBOXING, SANDING AND MEASURING
– If you want to paint your row house later on, it’s good to sand the different IKEA parts directly after unboxing.
– Take exact measurements. My measurements are calculated for a house according to the size of a BARBIE doll. If you want to build a house for dolls with a different size, you might have to adjust your measurements.
a) vertical boards
– Reposition the anchor holes (8 mm and 5 mm) in the side walls 20 centimeters further down (respectively 19,8cm if you prefer to have some scope for putting in the dividing wall later on). Also mark the depth of the holes on your drill.
– On one of your side walls mark a cut edge 13 centimeters further down, and when sawing keep the excess piece in order to construct the terrace of the house.
– Mark windows in the side walls as well as maybe a door in the dividing wall (= extra shelf) where and how ever you like them.
– Also mark a cut edge on the back board 20 centimeters further down.
– Don’t forget to mark a new dent on the back board for the fixation to wall.
If you want to put in the dividing wall on the second floor of your row house, it’s a good idea to move the new dent sideways.
b) horizontal boards
– As you move the original top board further down to contain the construction of the shelf, one of the two middle shelf boards is going to be your convertible roof. Mark its cut edge at 69 cm, if you opt for a 13 cm terrace.
STEP 2: DRILLING AND SAWING
– Drill 2×4 new anchor holes (20cm respectively 19,8cm further down, 8mm and 5mm in diameter, mark the depth of the original holes on your drill).
– Saw the 13cm cut edge on one of your side walls, save the excess piece.
– Saw the 20cm cut edge and the new dent on your back wall.
– Shorten your new roof to 69cm by using the saw.
– Saw windows and doors wherever you like them.
– And last not least use the excess piece of your back wall to construct two lining disks for your saloon hinges as you are going to fixate them against the manual later on.
STEP 3: BUILDING
– Build the outer boards of the BILLY bookcase as shown in the IKEA manual 😉
STEP 4: MODIFYING
– Take the 13cm excess piece of your shortened side wall and fixate it in its corner as floor plate for your new terrace. I used screws and glue, just to be sure 😉
– BTW: Hot glue and a cutter knife are your best friends against all kinds of unwanted holes or gaps!!
STEP 5: MAKING IT COLORFUL
– Paint your row house as well as the middle board and the extra shelf in the desired colors. Better buy too much than too little paint, as you might have to touch up some scratches later on.
– Use self adhesive foil in order to embellish the floor of your row house’s middle board.
– After having painted and pasted everything, build the middle board into the vertical middle of the row house according to the IKEA Manual. Use the 8th respectively the 10th (counting from the bottom) predrilled attachment holes in the side walls.
STEP 6: INTERIOR FITTINGS
– Turn your extra shelf into a dividing wall by attaching it to your chosen framing horizontal boards. I predrilled holes and used screws in order to do so.
STEP 7: CARPETS
– You can make beautiful carpets out of IKEA table-runners (GULLIRIS and MÄRIT in my case).
– Use glue to keep the cut edges from fraying.
– Use double-faced adhesive tape in order to attach your new carpets to your desired floors.
STEP 8: SALOON HINGES FOR A CONVERTIBLE ROOF
– The last step is the trickiest one, as you have to mount the saloon hinges to your higher side wall and your new roof board against their manual.
In order to find the right angle best try out all constructing possibilities according to my pictures, then use the two lining disks you sawed out of the back wall’s excess piece in order to get the perfect fit for the saloon hinges 🙂
