One of my absolute favorite elements of our new living room design is, without a doubt, the IKEA Billy bookcase hack that TJ Breil of Slab Woodworking rescued. I say rescued because we attempted to create a hack of our own, using the bookcases you see here and a shelving unit, to fake the look of built ins. We got as far as putting it all together but the process of making the unit look “built in” was a dud. Take a peek here and you’ll see what I mean.
I had all of the best Pinterest style intentions but it was a lost cause – until TJ walked in the door.
We knew we were switching the room layout and would no longer need the upper shelves so TJ was given the go-ahead to have his way with all of our hard work, saw in hand.
Once the upper shelves were removed, the remaining steps of the Hack were relatively easy (at least according to TJ). Here’s what he used, how he did and our finishing touches:
After removing the upper shelves and discarding them, TJ built a .5″ platform on the top of the assembled Billy bookcase to allow the doors to open fully. If you look closely, you’ll note that there are 7 cabinet doors as a result of using two large cabinets and one single cabinet to create the appropriate width for the space.
Once the platform was built, TJ screwed in the stunning 2 1/4″ thick raw edge cherry top. TJ hand scraped the bark and dyed the wood with a custom mix of dyes to match our floors and pool table.
Here’s what the wood looked like fresh from the lumbar yard
If you’re planning to hand dye the wood, TJ suggests that you add a little blue to counteract the natural orange tones of the cherry.
If you aren’t into hand mixing and dying, the Rust-oleum Ultimate Wood Stain in Dark Walnut or Kona will be your best friend (we used Kona on our dining room table and love it).
I love how expensive the wood top makes the piece look and how it ties in the pool table, our ultimate goal in the space.
When it came to cabinet pulls, we knew we wanted to center them at the top of each doors to minimize the fact that we are working with an add number or doors. We also really wanted to save money so instead of pulling the trigger on the Anthropologie handles I had my eye on, we went for a super personal dupe:
dock cleats.
And you’ll never guess where I bought them.
Wal-Mart.
As a captain’s daughter, I knew dock cleats came in all sizes and can be made of many materials, so I hoped we could snag really cheap ones. Wal-Mart came through with the 4″ open based galvanized dock cleats that I purchased online and had shipped to a local store.
Once they arrived, Amanda and I painted them with Rub and Buff (an idiot proof, insanely cheap, miracle in a tiny tube) and screwed them right into the cabinets (make sure that you use the correct length screw – too long and it will bump the inside of the cabinet and the door won’t close). Once the screws were in, we dabbed the screw heads with Rub and Buff for a cohesive look.
And finally, to finish the project, TJ added a pre-cut section of pre-fab white base board. The piece was cut to fit at Home Depot, matches the baseboards in the room, cost less than $10 and absolutely finishes the piece to perfection. I kept pushing for the baseboard piece and am so glad that I made everyone commit to the last step. The overall look just came together as soon as that baseboard was screwed into place.
And that’s it! I am so glad we were able to rescue the Billy and bring it life in our home. Thanks to TJ for all of his hard work, skill and patience with me during this process. You know I love you!
Room design by Amanda Louise Interiors, photos by Cleland Studios, hand painted feature wall by Andrea Sabugo.
IKEA Billy Bookcase Hack
Billy Cabinets and Doors, number determined by the length of piece you desire
small wood dowels to make .5″ platform
2 1/4″ thick Cherry Wood piece, bark stripped, length to match your project
Wood Dye or stain
4″ Dock Cleats
One tube Rub and Buff – yes it’s a tiny tube, it lasts forever!
One strip pre-fab white baseboard, cut to length
Screws
Hi Stephanie! I just wanted to let you know that I featured your room among my favorite Living and Dining rooms in the recently concluded ORC Guest Link Party! Thank you again for the fabulous inspiration! https://buhayatbahay.blogspot.com/2016/05/orc-faves-inspirations-living-and-dining.html
amazing does not fully describe it… fabulous IKEA hack!