Give a built-in farmhouse feel using moulding on the Ikea Billy Bookcase setup.
The Ikea Billy bookshelf 'built-in' wall is my favorite upgrade for our compact townhouse, offering both needed storage and a decorative spot.
We constructed it gradually according to our budget, incorporating farmhouse accents for the final touches.
This solution might resolve your storage and display challenges; follow these detailed steps.
Guide to Attaching Moulding to the Ikea Billy Bookcase System
Please note: This post includes affiliate links for your convenience when shopping.
First Step: Put together the Billy/ Oxberg Bookcase system that best suits your area.
Before visiting Ikea, we measured the intended area meticulously. We had a lengthy, bare wall section to utilize, presenting several choices.
We initially began with two Billy/ Oxberg Bookcase units equipped with doors.
All required components were provided; I assembled them successfully following the included directions without difficulty.
Several months later, we acquired 2 standard Billy Bookcases to place adjacent to the lower units.
When purchasing these, we also got 4 additional Oxberg doors, expanding our closed storage. The bottom doors conceal many daily items, such as my office supplies!
Next, we sourced the height extension shelves.
These were also simple to assemble, attaching to the top of the bookcases and nearly reaching the ceiling.
(I neglected to capture a clear photo of this stage, but a glimpse is visible left of the preceding image…)
Second Step: Enhance the wall's appearance by installing faux shiplap for a farmhouse aesthetic.
The final touch was adding shiplap to the wall section between the two tall units. This introduces the farmhouse charm I desired and gives the space more character!
Apply DIY craftsman trim moulding to achieve a built-in appearance.
The bespoke craftsman trim truly elevates this project; my husband handled all the work for this step—I just documented it!
Here is how to install the trim:
Materials Required:
- 1x2s
- 1x3s
- Tape Measure
- Chop Saw
- Pneumatic Nail Gun
- Paint
- Caulking
Step 1: Measure carefully to determine how much lumber will be required for the moulding.
You will need the same amount of 1x2s as 1x3s. If you want the molding to be wider, you may want to choose 1x4s instead of 1x3s.
Step 2: Cut the side pieces of the moulding with a chop saw.
Measure from the back of the wall to flush with the front edge of the bookcase. Each side piece will be 1- 1×2 and 1 1×3.
Step 3. Attach the 1×2 to the top of the 1×3 with a pneumatic nail gun, referring to the pictures below for placement.
(The right side piece will be a mirror image of this piece.)
Step 4: Prepare the front trim pieces by measuring the width of the billy bookcase plus adding in the measurements of the side trim pieces you prepared in step 3.
The front piece will have the 1×2 extending beyond each end of the 1×3 (as illustrated in the picture below).
Step 5: Paint the trim the color of the bookcases.
I found lots of helpful images on Pinterest for the color match formula for the Billy Bookcase system. I took the image from this helpful article and had the paint mixed up in the exact same paint type at Sherwin Williams.
However, the paint color did NOT match! I don’t know what happened. It may have very well been a mistake in the tint done by the young man who mixed it at my local store, so refer to that formula at your own risk!;) I ended up creating a custom mix with Simply White and repainted it after we had it installed ~ which helped take out the overabundance of yellow in the tint…
Step 6: Using the pneumatic nailer, attach the side pieces to the bookcase, with the top of the trim touching the ceiling.
Step 7: Attach the front piece to the bookcase, ensuring all joints are lined up correctly.
Step 8: Caulk the nail holes and the gaps.
(Sidenote, that gap up there drove my husband crazy… He probably would have redone it, but I just said to fill it with caulk!! It works like magic.)
This is the Dap product we used called “Dap Fast Dry Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone“. We don’t bother using any fancy tools. Just applying it with a finger works great.
Step 9: Once the filler is totally dry, touch up paint with a final coat.
All those little finishing touches will pay off in the end.
We love this Modern Farmhouse feature in our house!
Related Articles:
- Achieving Modern Farmhouse with Billy Bookcases
- Creating a DIY Shiplap Wall Accent
- Crafting Farmhouse Shelves Like a Fixer Upper
- Building Floating Shelves Using Turnbuckle Hardware
