The new IKEA Billy that transforms into a desk, and everyone’s talking about it

In the dialogue between functional design and the contemporary challenges of living — such as prohibitive costs, housing precarity, and homes with barely livable dimensions — Ikea now offers an "updated" Billy with folding table: a multifunctional piece designed to meet the needs of anyone living in spaces where every centimeter matters, and one that has already become a true social media phenomenon.

An enduring icon of Scandinavian design, which recently celebrated its 45th anniversary, the Billy has been reinvented to turn book storage into a resource of flexibility. The lower section of the new bookcase integrates a pull-out desk that can be opened or closed as needed, offering adaptable shelving, secure wall-mounting, and the ability to respond to all types of spaces: from a minimal workstation in the bedroom to a micro home office. Each variation is based on the same principle to ensure order, provide a practical yet discreet surface, and remain flush with the wall to optimize volume.

Originally born out of a simple request — an affordable, modular bookcase suitable for everyone — from the design of Gillis Lundgren, the Billy has won over generations thanks to its essential design and its ability to adapt to any context, with hundreds of millions of units produced. Its evolution into this new hybrid form signals Ikea’s intent to keep its classics ever-relevant, adapting them to contemporary needs without betraying their original spirit: because furniture can — and must — continue to serve as active tools in shaping everyday life.

Opening image: Billy with folding table, courtesy Ikea