ᐅ Which BILLY shelves are especially suitable for a child's bedroom?

Hello everyone,

I am considering getting a Billy bookshelf from IKEA for my young daughter’s room, but I’m not sure which models are best suited. The range is quite large, from versions with doors to various heights and widths.

My main priorities are stability, safety (meaning no easily tipping models), and enough storage space to hold toys, books, and possibly arts and crafts supplies.

I’m also interested in whether there are specific BILLY models that are especially easy to decorate child-friendly or to extend, or that stand out in terms of materials and workmanship for a lively children’s room.

Have any of you had experience with particular versions? Or can you recommend which width, height, or additional features would be useful?

Thanks in advance for your tips!

LOGOSO schrieb:
For me, stability, safety (so no easily tipped designs), and enough storage space to keep toys, books, and maybe some craft supplies are especially important.

That’s exactly what I really like about the BILLY shelves for kids’ rooms! 🙂 Especially the wide BILLY with doors at the front is great because everything is nicely concealed, and the little ones can’t pull everything out all the time.

I went for the 80cm (31½ inches) wide shelf with doors – super stable, and you can put great baskets or boxes inside.

I also placed the smaller 40cm (16 inches) wide version next to it; it’s perfect for books and items that you want to display. This combination is really flexible!

The part about extensions is true too – BILLY can be extended nicely, even with a wall shelf to increase visibility.

I think IKEA really put thought into this, especially for children’s rooms! :-)

For children's rooms, I definitely recommend the BILLY version with doors. These are safer for kids and prevent constant rearranging.

Width: 80 cm (31.5 inches) is good, height rather lower, e.g. 106 cm (42 inches), so kids can reach their things on their own.

The material is sturdy, but edge protectors can be added if needed.

Hello LOGOSO,

to answer your question as thoroughly as possible, I will highlight the key aspects that make BILLY shelves truly suitable for a children's room:

1. Stability: Since children often shake shelves or use them for climbing, I would recommend the larger versions, preferably the 80 cm (31.5 inches) wide model. This is inherently more durable than the narrower options. It is also important to firmly secure the shelf to the wall (IKEA provides brackets for this).

2. Height: Heights between 80 cm and 106 cm (31.5 and 41.7 inches) are ideal, as children can reach the bottom shelves without risking injury or needing to climb.

3. Doors vs. open shelves: Doors keep contents out of reach when necessary (for example, if there are small parts that could be dangerous), whereas open shelves are better suited for books and toys with only a few small parts, making it easier for kids to access their things.

4. Expandability: BILLY shelves can be easily customized with add-ons and doors. Doors are especially recommended for storing craft supplies or folders.

5. Materials: The carcass surface is coated and easy to clean, which is an advantage in a children’s room.

In summary, for a balanced children’s room, I would suggest:

- An 80 x 106 cm (31.5 x 41.7 inches) BILLY shelf with doors
- Supplemented by an open 40 x 106 cm (15.7 x 41.7 inches) BILLY for books, etc.

This provides plenty of storage space and safety at the same time.

Feel free to ask if you want to know more about assembly or accessories!

LOGOSO schrieb:
For me, stability, safety (so no easily tipping options), and enough storage space are especially important

I can completely relate. My daughter is always rummaging around in her room, and I wanted to make sure there was no risk from a shelf that was too tall. We chose one of the narrower options with a width of 40 cm (15.7 inches), but set up several side by side.

The advantage of this is that it keeps things flexible, and the shelves can be rearranged more easily if you want to reorganize the room.

Another thing that was important to me was having a shelf with doors at the bottom, because that’s where small items often end up that I don’t want left out in the open all the time.

Greetings to all parents looking for practical solutions—I know how challenging it can be sometimes!

I think it’s great that safety and flexibility are already being discussed here. These aspects are especially important in a child’s room, where furniture often needs to be rearranged.

A note from my experience: when choosing furniture, pay attention to the surfaces and edges. The BILLY shelves with rounded edges (if available) are obviously better suited for a child’s room. If that’s not the case with BILLY, edge protectors can also be added manually.

Many people also underestimate the importance of colors. While BILLY is usually available in white or wood tones, adding color accents with storage boxes or adhesive films on the outside makes the shelves much more appealing to children and encourages them to tidy up.

Thanks to LOGOSO for the good question that raises many relevant points!