The Perfect Size Of TV That Fits Right Inside An IKEA Billy Bookcase

In many cases, screens aren't a welcome part of a room's design — they're a necessary evil. If you want to lounge and watch your favorite show in your living room or bedroom, a big black rectangle has to be displayed somewhere, and prominently at that. There are workarounds to this, whether it involves a clever swivel, a projector screen, or the addition of a framed border, but if you don't want to shell out the money for a luxurious TV frame or sacrifice video quality by abandoning the television idea altogether, it can feel like you're out of options. Thankfully, this isn't the case, and a quick trip to IKEA could leave you with a television setup that's at once stylish and functional.

The BILLY bookcase is one of IKEA's most popular products, and for good reason. It's affordable, simplistic, and can be used for way more than books. With this clever idea, it becomes the home for a small TV, helping to more thoroughly integrate the screen into your room's design and free up valuable real estate on the walls. Unfortunately, it can be a bit difficult to work out exactly what size of television will fit on one of these shelves thanks to the somewhat annoying diagonal method that screens are measured, but luckily, we have the answer for you. In the most popular, 31 ½ inch BILLY bookcase, a standard 32 inch television will fit perfectly onto one of the shelves. With that being said, however, this DIY will take a bit of modification to pull off, especially if you intend to mount your television onto the wall.

Before you decide to buy a BILLY bookcase and a 32 inch television to try out this DIY, you have to be ready to make a few changes. First — the shelves. The shelves on IKEA's BILLY bookcase can thankfully be adjusted without having to drill any new holes, but to fit something as large as a TV on this unit, you'll likely have to toss a few inserts. On the tallest BILLY bookcase, the middle shelf that sits 37 inches below the top of the unit is stationary, so you'll have to work around this when planning your design.

From there, it will also be necessary to drill or cut some holes in the back of the unit — either a small hole to thread your cords through, or a larger hole if you plan to install a mount that's secured to the wall. Mounting the television to the backing of the bookcase is certainly possible, but considering the somewhat flimsy particleboard that IKEA furniture pieces are made from, it's not advisable, even if it is a fairly small and lightweight screen.

From there, it's time to make the unit your own. BILLY bookcases are great to use to get the built-in look for less, so consider placing several side by side and giving them a coat of paint to create a full wall of storage. If you truly don't want to spend your time looking at your television, you can also install doors on your bookcases. IKEA's OXBERG panel/glass doors fit perfectly onto a BILLY bookcase, but it's also possible to purchase a BILLY/OXBERG bookcase with doors already installed to reduce your workload.