Instead of a thin layer of wood veneer, BILLY now has a hard surface of durable paper foil. ”The foil has different printed patterns that look like natural wood and means that less wood is needed to make each BILLY,” says Umut. Using materials only where they are needed is resource-efficient. “And it has meant another positive thing – an even more affordable BILLY.”
BILLY Bookcase, brown walnut effect, 40x28x202 cm (15 3/4x11x79 1/2 ")
Price $ 75.00
How to get it
Available services
BILLY bookcase is a beloved icon that never goes out of style. Thanks to its versatility you can use it in many different ways at home – regardless of whether you store books or everyday items in it.
Article Number805.086.41
Product details
BILLY is a versatile bookcase that works just as good as a storage unit and is suitable to use in many different ways at home.
The shallow and adjustable shelves help you customize your BILLY and allow you to use it as you like – for storing everyday items, memorabilia or other things you collect.
BILLY has a simple and timeless design that is easy to personalize by adding boxes, lighting and your favourite items.
Make it even more personal by adding a door, allowing you to both hide and display things. In this way your BILLY can get new functions and a new look as your style and living situation changes.
A single unit can be enough storage for a limited space – but you can add more bookcases, extension units and shelves to create a larger storage solution if your needs change.
The wooden expression with a tactile wood texture brings a warm and natural feel into your home and adds a beautiful and vibrant look to the room.
The back panel fixes in place with snap fittings – making BILLY easy to assemble and disassemble, so you can bring it when moving instead of buying a new one.
Designer
Gillis Lundgren
Good to know
Min. ceiling height required: 80¾".
Keep in mind that you need enough space between the top of the furniture and the ceiling to be able to anchor the product to the wall.
1 stationary shelf and 4 adjustable shelves included.
May be used with BILLY corner hardware to form a stable corner unit.
May be used with doors; available in different colors and designs.
May be completed with extra shelves to add storage space.
May be completed with BILLY height extension unit in the same width and depth for added vertical storage.
Product is possible to recycle or use for energy recovery, if available in your community.
Materials and care
Material
- Main parts/ Side panel:
- Particleboard, Paper foil, Plastic edging
- Plinth front:
- Particleboard, Paper foil
- Back:
- Fiberboard, Paint, Paper foil
Care
Wipe clean using a damp cloth and a mild cleaner.
Wipe dry with a clean cloth.
Safety and compliance
Must be anchored to the wall. Different wall materials require different types of fixing devices. Use fixing devices suitable for the walls in your home, sold separately.
Assembly and documents
Assembly instructions
BILLY Bookcase805.086.41Advice and care instructions
BILLY Bookcase805.086.41Measurements
- Width: 40 cm (15 3/4 ")
- Depth: 28 cm (11 ")
- Height: 202 cm (79 1/2 ")
- Max load/shelf: 14 kg (31 lb)
Packaging
BILLY
Article Number805.086.41- Width: 39 cm (15 ¼ ")
- Height: 7 cm (2 ¾ ")
- Length: 207 cm (81 ¼ ")
- Weight: 26.15 kg (57 lb 10 oz)
- Package(s): 1
Ratings and reviews
Great use of small spaceIngridConvenient and narrow. I'm pleased
ExcellentLoanneThe perfect size for my space, great quality as always, I love the Billy line because it’s affordable and looks very neat and streamlined! So nice to have a library
Billy narrow book caseMargNot happy with the quality the veneer chipped when putting in the plugs to hold the shelf. Very cheaply made
Billy BookcaseTasmaI have always liked the Billy Bookcases. I have quite a few in my house. They seem to fit that perfect little space for anything!!!
Great basic storageShelleyAs shown
Quality has drastically decreasedAdrianaJust ordered this bookshelf to add on to my existing Billy bookshelves. The quality is significantly different than just a few years ago. The shelves don’t even look the same. Product also arrived with a lot of dings and bubbling.
Easy to put together MichelleEasy to build abs perfect size.
New and improvedAshleeI have been a long time fan of the Billy Bookcase. Price point is perfect and so is the quality. I was always frustrated by securing the backing rather than panel with the tiny nails. No matter how precise I tried to be one always managed to miss and go through the shelf. They have illuminated this frustrating task and changed it to pre-drilled holes where you instal a plastic plug and then a securing plastic nail. This is so much more efficient and less frustrating!
I bought two of these and the second one is missing an insert shelf and I was given an install shelf (plugs and screws). I messaged customer service and they aren’t able to send me a new one even though there is a separate shelf on the website. I’m over 4 hours drive from an ikea so this is an issue.
Sturdy and visually appealingEvgeniiThe shelf is holding its shape well and feels stable—not wobbly at all. The appearance is great and exactly to my liking.
Awesome Joao CarlosPerfect fit for what I needed. Easy to put together. A little heavy though. Highly recommend the shelves.
The walnut contact paper sucks! Please bring back veneerAnonymous reviewerThe Billy is a classic, easy to assemble and love that it is modular and comes with an option to add an extension to the top, unlike the other IKEA bookcases. But PLEASE PLEASE get rid of the walnut contact paper and bring back the walnut veneer. The top layer of this bookcase is now PAPER so it damages and looks worn incredibly easily. This takes the lifespan of the bookcase down to 1-2 years rather than 10+ with a decent wood veneer on top. IKEA, I know that your marketing department calls it the environmentally friendly approach to use paper rather than wood veneer, and it keeps costs down, but consider the shortened lifespan of the product and how much WORSE and more expensive this choice now is. Instead of one bookcase lasting many years and being able tolerate moves, it now looks like trash after a very short time which leads to worst environmental outcomes as people need to buy more to replace (which perhaps is on purpose - planned obsolescence?)
VersatileHeatherWe have Billy bookcases for books, CDs and DVDs. Plus, we have a small kitchen, so we are using one to house our many spices and seasonings.
We are hoping to get a couple of additional shelves to organize further.
Narrow fits!AlisonIn an older house the Billy bookcases are perfect because two double-wides are too big, but three singles are a perfect fit!
Billy book shelfAgnieszkaExactly what I needed
Billy delivers an easy solutionTeriNeeded shelving in a utility closet. Billy bookcases provided the perfect quick, affordable solution.
It’s okayHeatherIt’s kind of lopsided. The instructions were vague when putting it together. The shelves are the only sturdy item. The actual unit is flimsy.
Corner solutionsChristineDead spots in a library are awkward. Do I really need to leave a space between bookcases that is wide enough to vacuum? Not any more! Corner bookcases have solved that problem. Once I found out that a little bracket from a hardware store meant I didn't need to have a 45-degree corner, I could increase shelf-space and get all my books out of boxes. I bought 7 small Billy bookcases to solve all my spacing problems around the bigger Billys. Results? Impressive!
Good valueAllanReasonably easy to assemble and look good. Two were damaged during manufacturing and I was given a credit
Looks great but QA is really missing with this oneJoshuaThe shelf itself looks amazing but the quality control really leaves something to be desired… the bottom panel that’s supposed to go near the floor had holes drilled about half a cm off on one side making it nearly impossible to assemble. The only way to get this one panel in was to remove one of the pegs and hammer the other one in. It seems to be more of an aesthetic part so hopefully that won’t compromise the structural integrity. You can literally see (and measure) the difference in placement of the holes on both sides of the part. A bit disappointing but I guess it’s to be expected at this price point.
Billy book cadeDavidEasy assembly, attractive design, wish we could get the extensions.
Customer reviews
4.7Average rating
1740Reviews
Accessories for BILLY
Story
An updated storage hero
BILLY bookcase has been a steady customer favourite for more than 40 years – but old faithful servants also need to be updated to keep up with the times. We took a closer look at BILLY and came up with some ideas. One of them means more efficient use of materials, and another makes the bookcase easier to assemble and take apart.
“BILLY was introduced in 1979 and has helped millions of people to organize books and other things in the home. But the world has changed a lot since then, and even popular big-sellers need to adapt to new demands and ways of living,” says Umut Ates, one of our co-workers.
Paper means smarter use of raw materials
Easier to assemble and take apart
BILLY fits just as well in the living room as in other areas of the home – the office, dining room or library. It’s easy to expand and combine with other furniture. But one thing that has had potential for improvement is how the bookcase is assembled and taken apart. “Previously, you had to nail about 50 small nails to get the back panel in place, but that’s history now. Instead, you snap on the back panel without any tools,” explains Umut. It also makes it easier to disassemble BILLY without damaging it if you move or want to resell your bookcase. “The improvements have made BILLY more adaptable – it can keep up changing life situations – and it wouldn’t surprise me if this storage hero is as popular in 40 years as it is today.”
Material
An updated storage hero
BILLY bookcase has been a customer favourite for over 40 years – but old faithful servants also need to be updated to keep up with the times. We took a closer look at this storage hero and came up with some ideas. One means more efficient use of materials – another makes the bookcase easier to assemble and take apart. The improvements can be hard to see – except on the price tag – which has become even more pleasant reading.