Attach Billy Bookcase To Wall – Most crafters love a good read, and a bookshelf full of literature is a quick way to make a room feel like home. As a card-carrying bookworm, I think books should take center stage, but space can be an issue in small apartments. I think the solution is to create a sense of space and at the same time fill the rooms with as many books as possible. Does it sound difficult?
The only space I have for a bookshelf is in my hallway, but since IKEA designer houses have low, thin slats, the bottom of the ubiquitous cat bookshelf is the wrong shape for my walls (and slats). Having already bought the flat shelves, I was left with two options (or so I thought): 1, remove the scalloped part of the shelf to fit the baseboard. Or 2, the skirting board takes up a prominent position leaving a gap in the wall that doesn’t sink, resulting in a loss of valuable space and increasing the potential for people to sneak up on the bookcase and knock it over. I decided to go with option 1 while the junior hacksaw was on hand and had a rare moment of inspiration. Why not disconnect?
Attach Billy Bookcase To Wall
Does the bottom of the bookshelf and wall lift it off the floor, off the wall and rest on the skateboard?
Ikea Billy Bookcase Hack: The Most Frequently Asked Questions
Open Googleization, I wasn’t the first to come up with this idea. It was encouraging. I first came across the IKEA Hackers site with instructions for their ‘Floating Cat Bookcase’ which, while faulty, needed breaking.
I did the same with the skinny DVD shelf from IKEA, this time in a corner of the hallway. It was relatively simple and required fewer support brackets because it was on two plinth sections. A nice little project to practice first.
Everyone who makes flat comments on floating bookshelves. You’d have to be an Ikea philistine not to recognize them as Swedish products, but it’s not about pretending that Ikea isn’t cheap, it’s about taking something ordinary and making it more stylish and space-saving. It creates a visual sense of space, it’s easy to clean and that’s it! Sit on those shelves! They are ubiquitous throughout the world, but can be a little boring on their own. But there are some easy ways to decorate a cat bookshelf and make it look like a custom bookshelf.
We’ve had full shelves for years and our current collection has moved across the country three times.
Diy Built In Bookshelves
Look! Cat bookshelves in the guest bedroom/office in our beloved subdivision. We sold to the home owners.
There are some white elephants here, they have already moved once. In this house they posed in the art room.
And here they are now in my study, torn apart but standing. Like any other room, they needed a little love!
I have four full cat shelves in my study, and my husband and I did some magic to give them a textured feel.
Ikea Billy Bookcase Hack
This is a very inexpensive project and will work in any bookcase with adjustable shelves. There is an optional step that may come first depending on how you plan to install your shelving and how many you will be installing. When mounted against a wall, matching trim pieces create a more finished look. However, this activity requires power tools and some carpentry knowledge. This is completely optional. If you can’t or don’t want to do this step, skip it and go to the next section.
Since we used white shelving from Ikea, we used pre-finished 1″ x 4″ melamine trim. It matches the shelves and does not need painting. However, you can use any wood within these dimensions. You can paint or stain for a different look. If your bookcase isn’t white, you can match the wood with a finish or paint it to create a contrasting detail. Whatever the decision, make your bookshelves stand out and be more solid and permanent.
Also, our room does not have crown molding. We live in a mid-century modern house, and this room is so easy to finish. So we chose not to take the bookshelves up to the ceiling or add any trim above. However, if your room needs a little more detail, there are several tutorials, including this Old House video below, that give you ideas for a more elaborate installation.
This is part of the projects I did during my work room makeover. Check them all out and see the finished room here:
Office Makeover Part 2
With an infusion of color and style I transform my workspace from messy to wonderful.
Hide the adjustable shelf holes and make your cat shelf stand out with this simple hack.
Since my bookcase is mounted against a wall with some unevenness, we cut a piece of slate to fit the first bookcase snugly against that wall. If your wall is relatively square, skip this step. But the wall plan in this room changes to accommodate the base and window trim change, so instead of having an awkward little gap between the first shelf and the wall, we filled it with chalkboard.
The amount of trim and the number of screws you’ll need depends on how many shelves you’re installing. We only need to write against the wall, but your design may require that.
Ikea Library Wall Built In Hack
Our project is a very simple and contemporary version of this old tutorial mansion. However, skills contractor Tom Silva explains that those are the skills we use. If you start the video at about 8:30, Silva shows exactly how to use a compass or ruler to find the lines you need to cut the board like we did.
Mark a board for any irregularities and cut to length. Be sure to trace around the baseboards as needed.
Attach the writing board to the bookcase with screws. The screw holes can then be filled with lumps.
Fill in the gaps between the board and the wall or bookcase to make it clear.
My Ikea ‘billy’ Bookcase Hack For Under $500
The amount of material you need will depend on how many shelves you are putting together. We put four bookshelves together, so we used 4 trim pieces: three for the middle of the bookshelves and one for the wall trim.
We chose to install the trim piece 1″ from the front of the bookcase. The shadow created adds dimension and depth to the finished design. However, you can definitely install it on the edge of the bookcase for a different look.
Measure your walls and bookshelves. Find out where to put your first bookshelf. If you use a written term, install it before anything else.
Once the first shelf is in place, cut a piece to the correct height. Insert 1″ from the front edge of the shelf. Tighten it in place. Then use the screws to attach the trim pieces to the first top, middle, and bottom shelf.
Ikea Built In Bookcase Hack
Move the second shelf along with the first. Tighten it into position. Next, drill the holes in the front of the second shelf in the trim piece.
Add another trim piece. Place the next shelf in place. Then screw them on. Repeat until all the shelves are connected.
Once all the shelves are attached to each other, use a level to square them all up. Next, locate the studs on the wall and anchor each shelf to the wall using L-braces attached to the studs. Depending on the width of the shelves, each shelf may have at least one L-bracket attached to a stud, maybe two.
Use paint that matches the color of your bookshelves to cover the screws. Alternatively, fill the extra holes in the bookcase with stain to cover them all. Follow my tutorial for more information on how to do this and hide the channel behind the bookcase if you remove the back.
Adding Moulding To Ikea Billy Bookcase
After installing the shelves, I wanted to cover the holes and the back channel so they would still be complete. This tutorial shows you how to make your built-in bookcase look more polished and durable.
Stacked bookshelves, like the Ikea cat bookcase, rest on their backs to provide structural stability. If you decide to remove the back like we did, this is important.
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