One of Ikea’s Most Iconic Products Just Got an Ingenious Add-On

If you’ve got a Billy Bookcase, you’ll want to read this.

home office featuring ikea furniture including a desk attached to a bookcase

Published July 22, 2024

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Ikea makes and sells just about everything, from classic Scandi lounge chairs to affordable sofas to Swedish meatballs. But out of the thousands of Ikea SKUs out there, a handful have risen above to earn iconic status.

Often, these best-selling Ikea products achieve their cult-like status thanks to their “hackability.” In other words, buy a couple of cheap Ikea products, and after some simple DIY-ing, you end up with an entirely different product.

In years past, even this publication succumbed to the temptation of the Ikea hack (we combined the Alex drawers with a tabletop to make a desk, if you’re curious), and it seemed like everyone was getting in on the trend for a while.

These days, Ikea hacks may seem like old news, but I think they still have their place. And apparently, so does Ikea, as the Swedish furniture giant has just released a new product that’s basically an instant hack for one of its most popular items.

Ikea Billy Desk

$50 at Ikea

Billy the Kid Desk

Ikea’s Billy Bookcase is far and away among the brand’s best-known and best-selling products. A simple, minimalist bookshelf sold in several different sizes and finishes, the Billy has long had a reputation for being “hackable” thanks to its clean looks, its modularity and its available basic accessories like doors and drawers.

But Ikea’s latest product, the Billy Desk, really amps up the versatility of the bookcase in a way that we haven’t really seen before.

The new compact desk add-on is made specifically for the 31.5-inch wide x 11-inch deep version of the Billy Bookcase. Unlike most desks, the Billy Desk has just two legs, as the bookcase itself effectively functions as the desk’s counterweight.

a compact dining room filled with ikea furniture including a table attached to a bookcase — Despite being compact, the Billy Desk is still large enough to function as a dinner table in cramped spaces.

The Billy Desk comes with a pair of runners that you mount on the interior of the bookcase. The desk is then mounted on these runners, which allows you to slide the desk in and out from the bookcase like a drawer.

With the desk pulled out all the way, the entire unit measures 33.125 inches deep, which Ikea suggests is enough room for three people to eat a meal. With the desk pushed in, the total depth shrinks to 24.375 inches, giving you nearly 10 inches of extra space, making this home office setup ideal for small spaces.

How to Get the Billy Desk

Ikea is making it pretty easy to get the new desk add-on. The store is selling the Billy Desk as a standalone unit for $50. It’s available in one configuration — white with a melamine-coated particle board top — and is what you’ll want to buy if you already have a Billy Bookcase you’re looking to “hack.”

If you want to start from scratch and like the idea of a bookcase/sliding desk combo, then Ikea has you covered there, too. You can purchase the Billy Desk with the 79.5-inch tall Billy Bookcase together in one of two finishes, Birch Effect or Oak Effect, for $129. That’s the same price you’d pay if you bought both items separately, so there’s no discount if you go the bundle route.