3 Things That I Really Wish I'd Known Before Painting My IKEA BILLY Bookcases (and in a Bright 'Look-at-Me' Red, No Less)

Image of a living room with two red bookcases on either side of a wooden console unit. The console unit has a record player, candlesticks, and a picture frame on it, with a painting hanging overhead.

Moving house presents an exciting blank canvas and an opportunity to try something different. When I moved flats in London, our new space had high ceilings and large blank walls. Suddenly, with all my books, knick-knacks, mementos, and treasures with nowhere to go, I knew that something different was going to be an IKEA Billy bookcase hack.

If you've spent any time scrolling Instagram reels for DIY inspiration, you'll quickly find that IKEA's BILLY bookcases are a very popular base piece for crafty ideas. But I'm certainly no pro-builder, so instead of pulling out a drill, I reached for the tool I'm much better with: a paint brush.