This Living Room Makeover Features the BILLY Bookshelf Hack of My Dreams

IKEA is a perennial favorite among Apartment Therapy editors. It has a ton of affordable basics, comes out with gorgeous limited edition collections, and, of course, features plenty of products that are ripe for customization. I have a few IKEA pieces in my home, including the solid wood IVAR cabinet, and I love spotting other IKEA products in the wild. Even better when those products are hacked in really unique ways!

This living room makeover has been stuck in my head for that very reason since it was published a couple years ago. The before, as you can see above, was a little lackluster — though the original fireplace and crown molding were stunners! The DIYer behind the makeover wanted to give this long space a little more oomph, not to mention a more defined focal point.

To do that, she reached for a classic: BILLY bookcases. But instead of leaving them as is, she decorated the doors with molding to give them a fluted wood look, added in glam new hardware, and (my favorite part!) topped the bookshelves with scalloped molding that looks at once sophisticated and a little whimsical, too.

The finishing touch is, of course, the stunning new paint color: a chalky paint with a matte finish in a pale pinkish-purple color that’s used on the walls, too.

I’ve seen a lot of IKEA hacks over the years, and many of them have wowed me, but this is one I come back to again and again. I love how a few relatively simple changes made basic bookshelves into something that’s completely unique to this DIYer’s home. And I love that she made a setup that truly worked for her needs, piecing together BILLY bookshelves of different sizes to create the custom built-ins of her dreams.

Check out the full living room makeover here, where you can learn more about the process, the specific color, and more.

Want more inspiration? You can find more 80 of our favorite IKEA hacks here.