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.”
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Brown walnut effect
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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.
DesignerGillis Lundgren
Article Number505.086.52
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 favorite items.
Make it even more personal by adding doors, 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
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 doors; available in different colors and designs.
May be completed with extra shelves to add storage space.
Can be used with BILLY height extension unit in the same width for added storage vertically.
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
WARNING! Tipping hazard – this product must be securely anchored. Use suitable screws and plugs for your home. If you are uncertain, seek professional advice.
Assembly and documents
Assembly instructions
BILLY Bookcase505.086.52Advice and care instructions
BILLY Bookcase505.086.52Measurements
- Width: 31 1/2 "
- Depth: 11 "
- Height: 79 1/2 "
- Max load/shelf: 66 lb
Packaging
BILLY
Article Number505.086.52- Width: 11 ¾ "
- Height: 5 "
- Length: 81 ¼ "
- Weight: 87 lb 10 oz
- Package(s): 1
Reviews
Great bookcaseElysiaBought this bookcase and 2 others. Were very easy to put together. The backing makes it very sturdy. It has many connection points. Screwed them all together and used as a room divider.
nice bookcaseKentI have purchased 10 of these book shelves. Easy to assemble - go slow with the first one and the rest went really quick. Exactly what I was looking for without breaking the bank.
Billy is the best!!!PatriciaBilly fits the bill!!! Looks perfect on either side of the den fireplace, easy to put together and seamless in its quality. Thanks, IKEA.
bookshelf reviewAngelsuper easy instructions so it was easy to assemble by myself
Love itGraceVery happy with my bookshelves
Don’t buy, sagging and falls apartRichardThe Billy bookcase is an incredible product. Incredibly terrible. It is a bookcase that can’t hold any books. Think about that for a moment. Would you want a car that can’t drive? Or a knife that can’t cut? Of course not. But IKEA keeps thinking that medium density fiberboard of little wood chips fused together can hold books. They keep selling these and they know their bookcase can’t hold any books. I wish someone would stop IKEA. But they won’t. And the shelves will sag and break. And IKEA won’t take any responsibility and say “Hej, you know that bookcase we said could hold books? Well, it doesn’t work. We knew it wouldn’t work. But nobody stopped us.” That day is never going to come. The only thing we can do is tell everyone to not buy the bookcase that sags, bends, and breaks down into the little wood chip pieces it is made out of. Please, for the love of the Scandinavian gods old and new, do not buy this terrible and defective product.
Fragile hard to put together MuntakimThe back tore and the stand completely cracked and broke. It's an unstable product
Nice update and great Shelf for the money MarkI bought these shelves some years ago and remember having to nail small nails into the backside. But now they use kind of an anchor and a pin system to hold the backside in, and it worked great! These are wonderful shelves for the money!
Quick assembly and install IvaQuality is very good. Nice to mix and match with lighting, glass shelves, rolling bottom drawer, glass full length doors and half composite doors. Transformed spare room into an amazing office/studio.
Billy bookcasesPeterBought 5 Billy bookcases to make built in bookcase wall. Worked great. Bookcases are well made although I replaced the fairly flimsy back with mdf backing.
AmazingKelseyGreat bookshelves! Easy to build, tall and very secure.
Perfect showcase for my purses and shoesRobinI have purchased 2 of these in the past 9 months and I am completely satified. They were easy for me a 63yr old mother to assemble by myself. I will be ordering 1 more to place my collection of shoes on. It makes my walk in closet look very classy and organized.
All 3 times I bought it it was damagedCharbelThere was damage of dent all over it each time I bought and we are paying full price not fair.
Great book cases but assembly supplies need work.KathrynWe love our new bookcases and just ordered another one. The assembly was easy, however, the plastic screws supplied are a joke. They don't hold and they pop out easily. We have a box of finishing nails and they did the trick.
Can’t beat it for the priceDerekI placed several of these side by side in my dining room for a built-in look and keep getting more and more compliments. The improvement was worth triple what we paid. Would buy again 1000x over.
Sturdy shelvesSylviaEasy to assemble. My daughter and I put these together with ease. We did not attach to the wall but maybe you should if you have kids that like to climb on furniture. I think these are nice for the price point.
Cheap out on parts unreasonably ZhijunThe fastener screw recover that fits into holes are plastic and easily broken YET there is NO spare part not even ONE. Come on Ikea? you can cut cost but why cheap out like this? I bet it costs both you and consumers time to get replacement as simple as this.
Cheap particle board sagsRichardWhen someone sells a bookcase that measures 31.5” wide, the message it sends is “You have a lot of books, and I can handle a lot of books!” That is not the case. This is an illusion. This is a lie. A bookcase that sags and bows and might break *doing the thing it says it does* should not exist. And it does. I don’t know why a product is made that is wide and tall and invites you to shelve your books but then says “Oh no! Don’t put books in here! I can’t take them!” So then what is this product’s purpose? A bookcase, expensive, large, and space consuming. My books sit on the floor. They do not inhabit the bookcase. I stand and I stare at my bookcase. I stare at my books. I turn off the light switch. I stand in the dark. I finally understand. I am the logical endpoint of a global logistics chain of bad decisions and capital accumulation. I am the one who props up this system. I am the load-bearing particle board. I am the one who sags. I stub my toe on my books.
Happy with the quality, but not perfect QCEricThe shelf is really nice and i enjoy the height. and width.
Was bummed and left a worse review because it was missing a wooden dowel which almost derailed the build plans.
Luckily i had a bag of the exact dowels in my garage.
First time trying, and missing a partErichad to completely stop assembling after taking the day off to pick up and build for my daughter.
really disappointed they didn’t include extras of the 2 cent part.
Customer reviews
4.6Average rating
3097Reviews
4.6Average rating
3097Reviews
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Story
An updated storage hero
BILLY bookcase has been a steady customer favorite for more than 40 years – but old faithful favorites 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 use 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.”