ᐅ Adjusting an Ikea Billy bookshelf to fit – any tips?

Hello everyone,
maybe someone can help me? I have a corner in the living room where I want to place a (white) bookshelf. I like the Billy with a top unit best. However, the wall is partly somewhat damp (which I have unsuccessfully tried to fix), so it would be better to use a bookshelf without a back panel, allowing air to circulate. Other shelves like Expedit, for example, don’t fit because the available corner sides are 1.30/1.20 meters (4 ft 3 in / 3 ft 11 in) – I have tried almost everything. I know that Billy definitely needs the back panel for stability, just like the Pax wardrobe requires its back panel. My thought is: can I place the Billy shelf about 2 cm (0.8 inches) away from the wall and fix it with additional angle brackets, and can I remove some sections of the back panel for ventilation so that no mold forms on the wall? What do you think, or does anyone have another idea?
Thanks in advance!

Well, sure, sure... I’ve also built the wildest combinations with my Billy units.

Best regards,
alex

aha.......?.......!

Yes, I don’t quite understand what problem that should cause you, as long as the thing is somehow attached to the wall. If that is ensured, what could possibly go wrong..?

I also think it should actually be possible. I even suspect you can leave out the back panel completely—it’s not really that stabilizing in my opinion. Not like the back panel on a Pax wardrobe. You can first assemble it without the back panel and then see how stable it is—you can probably add it later if needed.

Regarding stability—based on my experience, it always depends on how you distribute the weight inside. Placing the heavier items at the bottom already helps a lot.

Hi,

you should definitely leave some space around the damp wall. However, I would first contact the landlord or a tradesperson. A damp wall over time is often a cause of mold.

Best regards