ᐅ Which BILLY shelves are especially suitable for small rooms?

Hello everyone, I am currently planning to redesign my home office using IKEA’s BILLY bookcases. Since the room is quite small, I’m wondering: which BILLY bookcases are especially suitable for small spaces? It’s important to me that they don’t take up too much room but still provide storage for books and some decorative items. If you have any experience with them, I would be very grateful for tips regarding dimensions, recommended versions, or practical design ideas that help make the most of the space. I’m also curious whether narrow models with doors are worthwhile or if open shelves are better. Thanks in advance!

For small rooms, the narrow BILLY shelves measuring 40cm x 28cm x 202cm (16 inches x 11 inches x 79 inches) are ideal. They save space while offering enough storage. Doors are worthwhile if you want to avoid dust.

Oh, BILLY shelves are great for small spaces! :-) I had the 40x28x106 cm (16x11x42 inch) model, which fits perfectly into tight corners and looks fantastic. With the doors, it looks much neater, which I love! A big plus for the home office! 🙂

I really appreciate the flexibility – you can even adjust the height and change the colors. It makes decorating a lot of fun!

I understand how challenging it can be to make efficient use of small spaces. For me, the narrow BILLY shelf unit with doors has proven especially effective for keeping things organized and avoiding visual clutter. I also find it interesting that by cutting out the back panel and adding extra shelves, you can customize the unit to fit your needs.

Golekau schrieb:
It looks much tidier with the doors, I love that!

I agree completely. Have you tried securing the shelf to the wall? I find this particularly important for tall units, especially when there are children in the household.

I’m wondering if BILLY is really the best choice for very small spaces, especially when you consider the 40 cm (16 inches) width. Its main advantage clearly lies in modularity, but a narrower, smaller shelf with only 28 cm (11 inches) depth can’t offer much storage volume. The 106 cm (42 inches) high version is space-saving, but the storage capacity is limited.

LETAR34 schrieb:
...whether narrow models with doors are worthwhile or if open shelves are better.

I would recommend also looking at the full-height versions with 202 cm (80 inches) height, because you can often create more storage vertically than on the floor area. One question is whether you can secure it to the wall? Open shelves tend to create visual clutter quickly, but doors often take up additional space, especially in small rooms. Perhaps an option with glass doors might be worth considering?

BAUEVA schrieb:
I would recommend also considering the full-height versions with 202 cm (79.5 inches) in height

Thanks for the tip, I can confirm that, since the room height is 2.50 m (8 feet 2 inches), it really makes sense to take advantage of the full height.

JEREMIAH38 schrieb:
Have you attached the shelf to the wall?

No, I haven’t done that yet, but after the recommendations I’m worried I should. Is there an IKEA guideline on how to best secure it in small rooms? The instructions in the package are quite general.

I’m torn between the 40x28x202 cm (16x11x79.5 inches) and 80x28x202 cm (31.5x11x79.5 inches) models. Space is tight, but I also need more storage.

Are there differences between the door options—wooden doors or glass doors (I also saw lacquered fronts)? What’s your opinion on doors for small spaces?