IKEA’s BILLY bookcase is one of the Swedish retailer’s bestselling furniture pieces, loved for its affordable price point and simple, versatile design. So it’s no surprise that the brand loves to release a new take on the iconic bookcase once in a while. The latest is the IKEA BILLY bookcase with a foldable table, perfect for small spaces.
IKEA’s furniture makes for the perfect blank canvas for many popular IKEA hacks – and the BILLY bookcase is among the most popular targets of these hacks. But the IKEA BILLY bookcase with foldable table looks and feels like an already completed clever IKEA BILLY hack.
The bottom part of the bookcase is equipped with castor wheels so that you can smoothly move it back and worth, while the tabletop seamlessly folds behind the bottom two shelves of the bookcase when folded away.
Even though it’s only newly launched, customers are already falling head over heels for this genius design that combines a low bookcase with a table that can be either folded out or smoothly folded away.
One existing customer wrote on the website, ‘Omg! If you are crafty in any way this bookcase is for you. Bought it for sewing on as I have a lack of space and what an absolute life saver!!! Pulls out a really good work space, best thing I've bought all year. WORD OF WARNING the back panel is folded in half and the instructions don’t specify that. Thought i had a wrong/missing part!’
Meanwhile, another wrote, ‘I have a tiny room and this bookcase changed the game. It is 200% effortless to pull and put away. It takes no space when it's folded and the table is giant when it unfolded but still does not make the space feel cramped. The build was easy enough but requires 2 people. And the top shelf is a perfect height.’
Compared to the basic BILLY bookcases with prices starting at £35, this new style is a bit more pricey, selling for £150, which is likely due to the innovative, two-in-one design.
Looking at some of the alternatives, it’s difficult to find a design like this for any cheaper than IKEA’s price point. But you might find one that’s more stylish and less simplistic, like these three options.
Space-saving alternatives
I'd say this La Redoute bookcase with built-in foldaway desk is the most similar to the IKEA BILLY one, only more aesthetically pleasing with the arched design and oak finish.
Available in three different colourways, this cabinet combines storage and a hideaway home office in a chic way. It's also the closest in price to the IKEA BILLY design.
La Redoute has a talent for at making small space-friendly furniture that also looks genuinely good. This wall desk with rattan inserts that also folds away is the perfect example.
I’m very impressed with this new version of the BILLY bookcase which has managed to combine space-saving design with storage, and it works very seamlessly and smoothly. Just be careful not to overdo it with too many of these clever designs in one space.
'Don’t overload with “space-saving” furniture that folds, tucks, and hides,' advises Chris Cooke, design mentor at King Living. 'If everything is in motion, nothing feels grounded.'
What do you think of this new design?
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