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Would you just get the Billy Bookshelves?


DawnM
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So, we had 4 birch Billy bookshelves that we had under the stairs for pantry/cleaning supply storage.   They fit well, although I would love to have something a little deeper shelf-wise, but whatever.

I ended up taking them all upstairs to the bonus room to hold games and legos. 

They are the shorter ones.

I now want to get something for pantry/cleaning storage in roughly the same size, but deeper shelves (preferably wire) but I can't find the right size!   They are all too tall or too short and I have spent way too much time looking.

I am thinking of just getting more Billy bookshelves (and two tall ones for the bonus room as we really need taller in there) and then using them under the stairs as well.

Any other suggestions?   Suggestions CANNOT include building ourselves.   Our list for home projects is so long that it will not be done in the next few years, I need already built, just assemble stuff.

Thanks.

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How much deeper do you want/need/have room for? And remind me about the Billys - are they open backed? (we have some Ikea shelves that are open backed, but thicker shelves than the Billy)  I'm wondering if you have room to put (at least in part of the space) 2 Billys, one in front of the other, to make one section have a double-depth shelf area, and then do regular depth the rest of the way? 

Would that work?  Alternately, is there any kind of like....entry table, sofa table, etc., that might be the right height so it lines up with at least one of the shelves on a Billy, and you could put it in front of or behind the shelves, so that you have a portion that's deeper?  (or mount shelf mounts onto the front of it and add shelving that way)?  Just brainstorming - you don't have to answer, just trying to think outside the box to get you the extra depth you want.

Even if not, yes, I think I'd still get those to use, since you know they work well enough. 

 

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Can you get shelving brackets and mount them with the appropriate depth boards? Or is that more diy than you want to get into?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Brackets-Screws-Support-Shelves-Floating/dp/B0B4JX9LYT/ref=asc_df_B0B4JX9LYT/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=692875362841&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15325248154487465080&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013156&hvtargid=pla-2281435182138&psc=1&mcid=ee4affbfc62638c6bcdc9ace64d647ea&hvocijid=15325248154487465080-B0B4JX9LYT-&hvexpln=73&gad_source=1

 

ive also found that freestanding cabinets are often deeper than shelves. I have one from Sauder that has held up well and is pretty deep. 
 

https://www.amazon.com/Sauder-411591-Homeplus-Base-Cabinet/dp/B005EFXAFS/ref=sxin_27_pa_sp_phone_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.1d0801ec-6dca-45b9-ab93-ecbcff52a54d%3Aamzn1.sym.1d0801ec-6dca-45b9-ab93-ecbcff52a54d&crid=241HZV4CKOO0K&cv_ct_cx=sauder+cabinet&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gUsyIxt_d-d5Qx3iMDm0q5pRLo6rT6T71X9zXCX4760CKVjD2FnHhZuzRnRNDJGz.jR3ktV_9QvTk15Xc5Gx2OrXUnFRCjmOBrLtu3NV0w-A&dib_tag=se&keywords=sauder+cabinet&pd_rd_i=B005EFXAFS&pd_rd_r=6812511d-2b14-4d7b-841f-5c3a47229244&pd_rd_w=mNScb&pd_rd_wg=pjg3v&pf_rd_p=1d0801ec-6dca-45b9-ab93-ecbcff52a54d&pf_rd_r=MVB1HE9V2CQA5NY6QNMM&qid=1721830888&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=saider+cabi%2Caps%2C98&sr=1-2-b0bb6ba1-8bc6-4016-b124-5d1edbae75f4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

 

this is what I have

Edited by fairfarmhand
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34 minutes ago, TheReader said:

How much deeper do you want/need/have room for? And remind me about the Billys - are they open backed? (we have some Ikea shelves that are open backed, but thicker shelves than the Billy)  I'm wondering if you have room to put (at least in part of the space) 2 Billys, one in front of the other, to make one section have a double-depth shelf area, and then do regular depth the rest of the way? 

Would that work?  Alternately, is there any kind of like....entry table, sofa table, etc., that might be the right height so it lines up with at least one of the shelves on a Billy, and you could put it in front of or behind the shelves, so that you have a portion that's deeper?  (or mount shelf mounts onto the front of it and add shelving that way)?  Just brainstorming - you don't have to answer, just trying to think outside the box to get you the extra depth you want.

Even if not, yes, I think I'd still get those to use, since you know they work well enough. 

 

They have backs and double would probably be too wide.   They are like 11" wide and I want more like 16.   Not a huge difference, but it is amazing how much difference it can make when putting things on the shelves that stick out 5 extra inches, which is a lot of our stuff for whatever reason.

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31 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

Getting DH to do it is the issue.  I don't think it will happen any time soon.  I would rather just get something I can use immediately.

Thanks, the cabinets with doors would be too much for the pantry, we want open shelving, but maybe in the bonus room something like that would work.   They will house games, and my son is into board games and they are large.   I need to measure some of the ones that need to go in there.  I know they are larger than 11" because they stick out.

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If you're looking for deep, have you considered one of those cube storage shelves?  You can use bins in some and just use the shelves in others.  They come in all shapes and sizes.

 

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Posted (edited)
11 minutes ago, SKL said:

If you're looking for deep, have you considered one of those cube storage shelves?  You can use bins in some and just use the shelves in others.  They come in all shapes and sizes.

 

They are too restrictive width wise.  I need an open shelf and not cut into cubes for what we need.   And I have looked at some of the Pinterest ideas for game storage and DS would die if I asked him to store them lengthwise.   He has all the pieces just so inside the box and turning it messes all of that up.

Yes, he is my Aspie.

 

Edited by DawnM
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Posted (edited)

For the bonus room, I will only use shelving that isn't built in for now.   Once my son gets his own place above the garage, I plan to send all of his board games with him and reclaim that space for what I want in there.

I am keeping the Billy shelves I have, it is just, do I move them to the pantry or leave them in the bonus room?

Edited by DawnM
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1 hour ago, DawnM said:

Getting DH to do it is the issue.  I don't think it will happen any time soon.  I would rather just get something I can use immediately.

Thanks, the cabinets with doors would be too much for the pantry, we want open shelving, but maybe in the bonus room something like that would work.   They will house games, and my son is into board games and they are large.   I need to measure some of the ones that need to go in there.  I know they are larger than 11" because they stick out.

Just don't install the doors.  I too wanted deeper cabinets that bookcase so I have several free standing cabinets that we built and just didn't bother with the doors. Now they are exactly what I wanted them to be.

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2 hours ago, Arcadia said:

I would get more Billy bookshelves for the bonus room but metal racks for the pantry. We use something like the Omar shelves but it might be too wide for your needs.

shopping.webp.c8d7c917268329a518a432e5a1a0f363.webp

Not too wide.   Those might work, I didn't know IKEA had such a thing.

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I was going to suggest the IVAR shelves as well. They're much easier to put together than the Billy bookcases, and very flexible in how you configure them. Plus when you want to move them, everything comes apart quickly and easily and you can even store the components flat. And if you later decide to use them in a different place you can always add new components because Ikea has been selling these for at least a couple of decades now (I bought mine almost 20 years ago). The only down side is that they are unfinished wood, which wouldn't matter in a pantry, but if you want to use them in a bedroom or living room, you'd want to stain or paint them. 

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1 hour ago, EKS said:

The IVAR shelves come in two depths, 12 in and 20 in (or thereabouts).  

I was just coming to suggest Ivar. I love ours. We have had various combos for 30 years. I bought my first set in 1993, still going strong! They are great in pantries, storage areas, etc. You can change configurations as needed, there are different depths, heights, widths. You can add cabinets or wine racks, baskets, etc. 

ETA: I see others have said the same thing. Great minds!

Edited by Spryte
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