I turned a few plain IKEA BILLY bookcases into custom-look feature shelving on a budget (and without a power tool in sight!)

Brown bookcase filled with books and ornaments in a home office.

Home decorator and content creator Leah Hodson is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on overhauling a home with clever DIY and decorating tricks. See the rest of her articles here.

If you’re constantly running out of storage space but don’t have the budget, or the joinery skills, to build something bespoke, this clever IKEA BILLY bookcase hack I just completed might just be your answer. It’s proof that with a little imagination (and paint), even the most ordinary flat-pack can be transformed into something stylish, practical, and completely your own, without breaking the bank!