This $1,100 IKEA BILLY Hack Is Unlike Any I’ve Ever Seen (It Completely Transforms This Studio!)
ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER
HOME TYPE: Apartment
PROJECT TYPE: Bedroom
STYLE: Minimal, Modern, Organic Modern
SKILL LEVEL: DIY
RENTAL FRIENDLY: Yes
Studio apartment dwellers often have to come up with clever ways to divide their space into distinct zones for sleeping, dining, working, and more. Take, for instance, these large pink IKEA BILLY bookcases that basically turn this studio into a one-bedroom, or this IKEA shower door hack that carves out a home office in a studio.
A third space-savvy IKEA project to add to the list is Olamilekan Isaac’s (@our_commonspace) BILLY-built bedroom. “When I first moved into the studio, it was a wide-open, empty space with endless possibilities,” he says. “As soon as I stepped inside, I had a clear vision of what I wanted to bring to life … I envisioned creating a distinct bedroom that felt separate from the rest of the space. I wanted it to have its own sense of privacy and comfort, giving it a unique feel while still blending seamlessly with the open layout of the studio.”
6 BILLYs create a separate space for sleeping.
Olamilekan created a “bedroom” in the back left corner of the apartment by arranging a box shape out of six brown IKEA BILLYs. In other words, it’s a room within a room. “I love that I can now sleep in a separate room and not feel exposed to the rest of the space,” he says. “It gives me a sense of privacy and comfort, making the whole studio feel more like a home.”
His best advice for working with IKEA furniture? “Make sure your measurements are precise, especially if you’re working with prefabricated pieces,” he says. “It’ll save you a lot of time and headaches later.”
Olamilekan also recommends using plywood as a helper when needed. “Things like uneven floors or walls can pop up unexpectedly, but don’t let them throw you off,” he says. “There’s always a solution, like using plywood to level things out, for example.” (That’s what he had to do to account for some sloped flooring in his own apartment. He raised a few of the BILLYs up higher with plywood pieces.)
The IKEA hack has a cool sliding door.
Olamilekan added a SKYTTA sliding door between two of the BILLYs so that he can easily get in and out of the space. Because he didn’t paint any of the IKEA pieces, his project total came to $1,100. “I believe this project offers the most budget-friendly solution for anyone looking to do something similar,” he says. “Opting for a custom build could easily triple the cost, not to mention the additional labor expenses.”
In the future, he plans to add some cabinet doors and trim to the outside of the BILLYs for an even more custom look, but for now, he’s thrilled with all the storage — and privacy — he added to the studio. “The entire project turned out to be much easier than I expected,” he says. “What seemed daunting at first came together smoothly, and I was surprised by how quickly everything fell into place.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
Further Reading
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here’s What They Said
