Add Chic Reeded Glass to the Popular IKEA Billy Bookcase

Before you start any painting prep, assemble your Billy bookcase, but don't add the doors right away. (We'll add them later.) Stand the bookcase away from the wall because we're going to be painting the sides and doors, and it's much easier to do this if you can move freely around it.

Most IKEA furniture has a shiny surface that paint will struggle to adhere to. Quickly rough up the surface on the bookcase exterior and doors using 180-grit sandpaper.

Tape up the glass on the doors. It doesn't need to be perfect, you can use a glass scraper to remove any excess paint on the glass later.

Use a foam roller to prime the doors and sides of the bookcase. We recommend a shellac-based primer as it has the best adhesion making it ideal for smooth surfaces.

Once the primer is dry you can paint the exterior of the bookcase and the doors. One to two coats of paint should suffice.

Once dry, remove any masking tape and attach the doors to the bookcase.

Next, measure the width and height of the glass panels on the doors.

Measure and cut the reeded window film to the size of your glass panels.

Take a spray bottle and fill it with 1 part liquid soap to 20 parts water. Spray the solution onto the glass panel. (Most window films are applied this way but just double-check the manufactures instructions for your window film application just to be sure.)

Peel off the back of the window film and spray it with the soapy water solution.

Place the window film onto the glass and move it into position.

Using a squeegee, work it in outward strokes to remove any air bubbles and excess water from the film.

Replace any IKEA hardware with slick brass handles to give the cabinet a final update.