Alternatives to Billy bookcases?

[Anonymous]

We need to put up a wall of bookshelves in our basement, and I'm wondering if there are any inexpensive options other than Ikea's Billy bookcases? We don't have the budget for built-ins or high-end shelves. I was thinking of doing Billy and then hacking it by gluing some molding on the top and in-between units, but maybe there's something better out there. We don't want to do the Elfa-type shelves. All suggestions are very appreciated!

[Anonymous]

Target has a bookshelf that can be placed next to one another so the molding aligns. I don't think the quality is as good as Ikea Billy but it is a more traditional look.

http://www.target.com/p/threshold-carson-5-shelf-bookcase/-/A-11111131?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=11111131&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=pla_furniture+shopping&adgroup=sc_furniture_top+performers&LID=30pgs&KID=ea9c5420-f868-4d16-b8cc-509f65a87cb5&gclid=CjwKEAjw1_KwBRDEz_WvncL4jGwSJAAEym0dSwsqXuHZ_3X8XfCb6B-gyB6qhc_ekJuVCuptpxxXLRoCk5Hw_wcB

[Anonymous]

I have several of IKEA's Hemnes book cases, which are pretty sturdy.

[Anonymous]

West elm.

[Anonymous]

Why not get ikea kitchen cabinets that configure in a variety of ways and opt to put doors on some to give it a more furniture look?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to put up a wall of bookshelves in our basement, and I'm wondering if there are any inexpensive options other than Ikea's Billy bookcases? We don't have the budget for built-ins or high-end shelves. I was thinking of doing Billy and then hacking it by gluing some molding on the top and in-between units, but maybe there's something better out there. We don't want to do the Elfa-type shelves. All suggestions are very appreciated!

Wood is expensive. DH is a carpenter and wanted to create a built in wall in the basement. I pushed for the IKEA hack you are proposing. It looks great. Even with $0 labor, the cost of the materials for the built in wall was more than we spent at ikea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not get ikea kitchen cabinets that configure in a variety of ways and opt to put doors on some to give it a more furniture look?

This is a good idea and could give you more/more flexible storage than plain bookcases. But if you do want the traditional bookcase look, I'd definitely use Billy with the added molding. Those bookcases are great -- I have a wall of them, with glass doors, in my living room that are over 20_yrs old and still going strong.

[Anonymous]

We have both Billy bookcases and target ones in ours house. As standalone bookcases, the target ones are far more attractive. However the Billy ones have a lot more options, both to fill the space and to mix up the look. In our previous house, we had a wall of 5 Billy cases with the height extenders on each one. Cases 1, 3, and 5 had solid doors on the lower half and cases 2 and 4 had glass doors. We didn't have molding and people still thought that they were built-ins. In our current house, we have 3 of them together on a wall that is almost exactly the width and height of the 3 cases plus height extenders and they look good again.

If you do add molding, I think they will look even better.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, everyone. Seems like Billy is the right move! We want bookshelves because we're setting up a library, so cabinets won't quite work.

Any tips for the hack, or suggestions for easy-to-follow instructions on the web, would be appreciated! DH is a dead loss as far as being handy, and I'm more "Pinterest Fail" than "Pinterest."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, everyone. Seems like Billy is the right move! We want bookshelves because we're setting up a library, so cabinets won't quite work.

Any tips for the hack, or suggestions for easy-to-follow instructions on the web, would be appreciated! DH is a dead loss as far as being handy, and I'm more "Pinterest Fail" than "Pinterest."

Some good tips here:

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2011/11/from-billys-to-built-ins/

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2013/06/billy-in-the-bedroom/

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2013/01/besta-billy-brass-bookcases/

http://southernhospitalityblog.com/den-project-built-in-billy-bookcase-ideas/

http://bliss-athome.com/2013/06/13/ikea-billy-bookcase-library-wall-getting-that-built-in-feeling/

http://www.mrshinesclass.com/2014/01/23/diy-built-in-bookcases/

http://newlywedmcgees.blogspot.com/2012/03/built-in-bookshelves.html

[Anonymous]

ughh don't do this, it looks cheap and probably is against manufacturer recommendations. HATE the seam between the book cases. Save up and get a real carpenter.

http://www.runtoradiance.com/2014/01/17/diy-ikea-billy-bookcase-built-in-bookshelves-2/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ughh don't do this, it looks cheap and probably is against manufacturer recommendations. HATE the seam between the book cases. Save up and get a real carpenter.

http://www.runtoradiance.com/2014/01/17/diy-ikea-billy-bookcase-built-in-bookshelves-2/

You can use molding strips to cover the seam between the book cases. Not everyone can pay $5k or more for "real" built ins.

[Anonymous]

I like the Billy series. With the right combination of shelves and doors it can be very functional and professional looking. The only problem is that the white bookshelves aren't real wood veneer - they are paper thermofoil and might not look that great over time - depending of course on how much abuse they take from kids and family life.

I've never understood why IKEA hasn't developed a kit of parts to go with the Billy or Besta series - toe kick moulding like they have for their kitchen cabinets, finish matching crown moulds with premade inside and outside corner blocks and matching finish spacers to add between bookcases to get that true built in look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the Billy series. With the right combination of shelves and doors it can be very functional and professional looking. The only problem is that the white bookshelves aren't real wood veneer - they are paper thermofoil and might not look that great over time - depending of course on how much abuse they take from kids and family life.

I've never understood why IKEA hasn't developed a kit of parts to go with the Billy or Besta series - toe kick moulding like they have for their kitchen cabinets, finish matching crown moulds with premade inside and outside corner blocks and matching finish spacers to add between bookcases to get that true built in look.

Because that is not the euro style. Europeans using IKEA wouldn't go for that look -- and are much less attracted to furniture with crown molding and the like (note that I am not saying crown molding in the ceiling). By the way, I just checked ikea's page in France. its kitchen line does *not* have the toe kick molding beyond the plain straight toe kick. Looks like ikea developed the matching toe kick for the U.S. market.