The best hacks for the world’s most beloved bookcase.
For over 40 years, the iconic IKEA BILLY has been a staple in homes around the world—simple, affordable, and endlessly useful. But what happens when everyday IKEA fans push this humble bookcase way beyond its original purpose?
You get these 37 next-level BILLY bookcase hacks.
From built-ins that look fully custom to jaw-dropping kitchen storage, entryway solutions, and even toy storage, these ideas prove that BILLY can do so much more than hold paperbacks.
Whether you’re short on space, big on style, or just love a good IKEA upgrade, there’s a hack here you’ll want to try for your space.
BILLY Bookcases With Secrets
1. Secret Patio Storage
Keep the patio nice and tidy with this hidden storage cabinet. The BILLY bookcase attaches to the wall with T-hinges, camouflaged as a rustic plant wall when closed. It’s perfect for holding garden tools and supplies without taking up a lot of space.
2. A Sweet Speakeasy Bar
This amazing speakeasy-style bar, created by Rachel Martino, combines BILLY bookcases and LOMMARP cabinets into one innovative concept. This elegant custom built-in is actually a secret bar; all you need to do is pull out the bottom section.
3. Hide a Secret Room With a Bookcase Door
If you’ve ever dreamed of having a secret room complete with a hidden door, then this bookcase hack is for you. Two BILLY bookshelves and the OXBERG glass doors transform into a really cool feature with some wheels, a piano hinge, and impressive DIY skills.
4. BILLY bookcase secret door hack
Meg’s solution to turn an awkward space into a whiskey and tea library includes creating a secret door that leads to their home office/guest room. See the secret door BILLY bookcase hack.
BILLY Bookcase hacks: Built-ins
5. BILLY With Texture And Asymmetrical Shelves
A plaster technique gives this BILLY built-in a new look that mixes modern style with Mediterranean influence. Nora Dumoulin used three bookcases and a lot of patience to achieve the look she wanted, and the finished product makes a big impact.
6. Arched BILLY bookcase hack
The inspiration was a Magnolia arched cabinet. Rachael and Garret set out to create the same style in their front room, hacking 4 BILLY bookcases for good measure. The transformation is breathtaking and seriously, they look every inch bespoke built-in cabinets.
7. Living room display storage shelves
Claire added a few twists to her BILLY bookcase hack, turning it from obvious “IKEA bookshelves” to luxurious living room built-ins. Thickened shelving and filled-up dowel holes made all the difference.
8. Bespoke BILLY with decorative moulding and lights
Not your usual IKEA BILLY bookcase hack. This head-turning number from Melanie used a combination of decorative moldings and beading to create an original ridge molding down the central timber bar and the sides of the otherwise plain white particleboard. To top it off, beautiful wallpaper on the back of the BILLYs and gold wall lights.
For a quick and easy way to add crown molding on the BILLY, grab this crown molding kit from Etsy. Just slot the premade molding onto the top shelf and you’re done.
9. Affordable built-in BILLY bookcase hack
Jeff had a really long wall that needed something to separate the games area from the media area. What better way than to introduce more storage and some built-in bookshelves?
BILLY bookcase hacks for the kitchen
10. Scallops Give This BILLY a Cute Edge
Farwa Moledina needed additional storage for her growing family, so she upgraded a basic BILLY bookcase using wallpaper, glass film, and paint. The highlight of this makeover is the cute scalloped trim around the edges. It updates the piece, giving it a fresh look and taking it to a whole new level.
11. BILLY for a Kitchen island
Courtney’s farmhouse-style kitchen island with open shelving. She made it out of 3 BILLY bookcases, a butcher block countertop, and beadboard. See more of the DIY kitchen island.
12. Make it a Pantry
With the option of glass doors (see the OXBERG doors), the BILLY is a good candidate for a freestanding pantry. Jasmine used the tall skinny BILLY to fit into a small corner of the kitchen, next to her breakfast nook. Anchor the bookshelf to the wall for stability. And load the shelves with baskets and bins for an organized kitchen.
13. Trim it down into a wine rack
Jesse made good use of the 6″ gap between the pantry cabinet and wall. She cut down a 15″ wide BILLY bookcase to fit the opening and turned it into a slim built-in wine rack. And it was cost-saving too. She could make two shelves out of each 15″ shelf for a total of 11 shelves for her wine bottles and glasses.
14. DIY home bar BILLY bookcase hack
A gorgeous bar from tall and short BILLY bookcases. The tall ones form the storage cabinets for the bottles. The bar counter is made from 2 shorter BILLY bookcases and a walnut kitchen counter, also ordered from IKEA. Read more on this DIY home bar.
BILLY hacks to make an entrance
15. A Custom Hallway Storage Solution
Sara Milner desperately needed more hallway storage, but too many doors presented a challenge to traditional methods. She created a custom storage solution surrounding a doorway to keep things clutter-free.
16. BILLY bookcase mudroom furniture hack
Jessica recently took an under-utilized closet, added some IKEA pieces (BESTÅ and BILLY) for storage, and made them into beautiful mudroom furniture for her home.
17. Mudroom lockers and backpack organizer
Backpacks, coats, and shoes can quickly pile up at the entryway if you don’t have the right storage in place. Take a leaf from Jessica and start assembling the IKEA BILLY bookcases. One narrow bookcase for one kid to store backpacks, jackets, boots, and more! With this IKEA hack, back-to-school organization is a cinch.
18. BILLY hack for shoe storage
One BILLY shelf fits 2 pairs of shoes perfectly. Magcarco put the shelves with the front lower, to display the shoes nicely in her hallway closet. For the finishing touch, she added a little molding along the front so the shoes wouldn’t slide out.
BILLY hack for colder weather
19. Classy Firewood Storage
Store your firewood in style with this BILLY storage and display hack from Mia. The bottom sections offer plenty of open space for logs, while the top shelves are perfect for books and decor. Don’t have any firewood? Stow some pretty bins and baskets on the bottom to hold extra items.
20. Turn a BILLY Bookcase Into a Faux Fireplace
This fireplace hack from Jim Grischow really gives the BILLY a whole new glow! An electric log set, faux stone wallpaper, and real firewood enhance the illusion. Everything comes together for one hot look.
BILLY Bookcase library
21. Sliding Ladder Library
Christi created a super stylish and sophisticated at-home library out of BILLY bookcases and a sliding ladder. The cabinets on the bottom provide additional storage and also give the entire project an elevated look.
22. Library wall bookcase with sliding ladder
Trish and Philippe looked at modular bookcase options, or having a custom built-in bookcase library wall but the quotations came in very expensive. Philippe is very handy with the tools and had seen BILLY hacks and decided to give it a go. And we’re so glad they did. This BILLY-BESTÅ-GNEDBY library ladder combo is a stunner.
23. Daybed reading nook from IKEA BILLY
Jessica shares her instructions for a daybed reading nook made from 4 BILLY bookcases. It’s amazing how practical and beautiful this IKEA hack turned out.
24. Tall Wall Storage Bookshelves
Roel needed to add some extra storage space in the living room. They came up with the idea to make a tall cabinet at the head of the table, with a more “wall-like” appearance. You’ll need the BILLY height extension units to reach the ceiling.
25. Full wall-to-wall BILLY bookcase hack
When you need to fill an entire wall with shelves, BILLY’s your man or bookcase. See the full BILLY wall.
26. Wall-mounted floating library bookshelf
The BILLY bookcases take on a new lightness when hung on the wall. Also, furniture off the floor makes cleaning so much easier. Be extra careful to secure the wall brackets/ hardware to wall studs. See the floating bookshelves. Here’s another version if you prefer a wood wrap-around.
BILLY bookcase hacks for toy storage
27. The Ultimate DIY Doll Dream House
Whether the Barbie movie inspires you, you want to create a special toy for your child, or you are looking for a fun project, this dollhouse hack delivers. It completely reimagines a simple BILLY bookcase into a childhood classic, perfect for hours of imaginative play.
28. Bookcase Dollhouse
By adding a roof, chimney, wooden details, paint, fences, walls, and even windows, the BILLY Bookcase becomes a chic beach house or a fab urban row house. Use as a bookcase, shelf, or dollhouse… you get to decide! See the full tutorial for the dollhouse bookcase.
29. Kids toy car park
Black paper, a white pen, some yellow and black chevron tape, and voilà, a dedicated space for your kid to display the toy car collection.
BILLY bookcases as room dividers
30. Behind the sofa room divider hack
The skinny BILLY turned on its side makes a lovely, low profile behind the sofa storage unit and space divider.
31. Studio apartment room divider hack
A small studio apartment with an open plan gets a little privacy. BILLY bookcases wall up a small section and separate the sleeping nook from the rest of the space. See the full 2-day makeover.
Unique BILLY bookcase hacks
32. A Luxe Credenza
Manon Kleijn designed an elegant, modern credenza that features a mix of closed and open storage. The flip-down doors, complete with UTRUSTA push-open fittings, keep things sleek and streamlined. This piece would look great in an entry or even as a server in a dining room.
33. Rustic cane BILLY bookshelf
One of the most beautiful ways to makeover the BILLY bookshelf is to add cane webbing. Kathryn was searching for an affordable cane cabinet without success, till she made her own BILLY doors with cane.
34. Craft room IKEA BILLY storage pod
Liz hacks a sewing cabinet/craft pod with 2 BILLY bookcases. Open to craft. Close to hide the clutter. Perfect. See the sewing machine cabinet and craft pod.
35. IKEA BILLY hack hides a Murphy bed
MSILBERBERG lives in Manhattan, where space is a premium. They were fortunate to have a playroom that also doubled up as a guest room. Their idea was to hide a queen Murphy bed behind their IKEA BILLY bookcases.
36. Cat shelves in one compact bookcase
Cave Lion fashions a fantastic set of cat shelves in a BILLY bookcase. It looks pretty easy to do, too. And it looks like a lot of fun! See the cat shelves.
37. Hide a workspace in your cabinet
Here’s a desk that hides away completely in a BILLY bookcase. A great idea when you don’t have space for a big workspace. The best thing is to close the doors, and your “home office” disappears. See the secret bookshelf desk.
How The BILLY Bookcase Was Born
This iconic piece of IKEA furniture has been around since 1978. Over the years, the humble bookcase has undergone much changes — big sustainability adjustments, small cosmetic touches with new colors, new accessories, doors, and add-ons.
Honestly, it’s quite a fair bit for a flat-packed piece, so much so IKEA published a book about BILLY, detailing the journey of this remarkable bookcase. However, structurally, it has remained the same hardworking bookcase, first envisioned by the late Gillis Lundgren.
In 1978, Gillis sketched out the design on the back of a napkin. And he named it BILLY, after a colleague who expressed his desire for a ‘proper’ bookcase.
Both Gillis and Billy would be happy to know that every year, about 4.5 million new BILLY bookcases join the 60-odd million already in homes and offices all around the world.
I think Mr Lundgren would also be very pleased to see how far we, people who tinker with IKEA, have evolved his iconic bookcase. Hope you like these IKEA BILLY bookcase hacks. Which is your favorite? Tell us in your comments.
If you have an IKEA BILLY bookcase hack of your own, share it with us and be part of BILLY’s incredible journey.
NEXT: That’s not all. Explore more IKEA storage hacks.
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