IKEA BILLY Hack Goes Viral
Reddit DIYer Floyd transformed $80 IKEA BILLY bookcases into stunning arched built-ins that look like custom millwork. The hack involves building arches over standard bookcases and finishing with cohesive paint and trim. Project is generating major buzz for proving off-the-shelf furniture can achieve high-end, architectural results on a budget.
The BILLY bookcase was designed in 1979 by Gillis Lundgren, IKEA's fourth employee, who reportedly first sketched the design on a napkin. The goal was to create a timeless and flexible piece of furniture that could grow with a person's collection of books. Originally 90cm wide, the design was narrowed to 80cm in 1988 after customers complained the shelves were bending under the weight of books. This piece of furniture is a global bestseller, with IKEA having sold over 140 million units by 2023. The company estimates that, on average, one BILLY bookcase is sold every five seconds. In 2009 alone, 130,000 units were being produced each week. The practice of modifying or repurposing IKEA products is a widespread phenomenon known as "IKEA hacking." This trend gained momentum in the early 2000s, largely driven by online communities and blogs where DIY enthusiasts share their creative projects. Websites like IKEAhackers.net, founded in 2006, serve as major hubs for this global community. While the BILLY bookcase is a frequent subject of these hacks, other popular items for modification include the IVAR storage system, MALM dressers, and KALLAX shelving units. The creativity of these projects ranges from simple paint jobs to complex transformations that render the original product unrecognizable. Initially, IKEA had a contentious relationship with the hacking community, even sending a cease-and-desist letter to the founder of IKEAhackers.net in 2014. However, facing a public outcry, the company has since changed its stance and now embraces the trend, even featuring customer hacks on its own social media channels.
