These are the Billy bookcases from Ikea that I've been lusting after for years. When we lived in Spokane we were in a dinko, single wide trailer and there wasn't any room for these cabinets, no matter how much I wanted them in there. After all, I did want a couch to flop down on! When we moved to this house, I budgeted for 4 of the Billy bookcases and was chomping at the bit to purchase them and then convince Dirk that they needed to be put together. Once the living room was all done (flooring wise), I was really anxious to get them up. Believe it or not, I still have lots more figurines that aren't in these cabinets. I think I could easily fill another 4. Now to figure out where all they can go (I have a good idea where, but it'll be months down the road before I'll know if I'm correct in my calculations or not).
I'm not going to list every single figurine that is in each photo, but I will mention some of the highlights. I would love to put up larger photos, but it would take too long to load them up. Enjoy!
These are the two cabinets that are just off to your left as you come into the living room. You can just see off to the right edge the ends of the built in bookcase that is still there. Dirk wanted to take them down, but I didn't want to wait around long enough for him to remove them, paint the wall and redo the flooring. Plus, it didn't help that he built a cabinet and then just left it there! No way could I leave it for very long without stuffing it full, so hubby gladly gave up the idea of removing the built in bookcase. See, I am nice to him from time to time.
These bookcases originally come with 5 or so wood shelves. The middle one has to be put in for support, as well as the one on the bottom. I replaced the others with glass shelves that you can purchase from Ikea, as well as the set of small halogen lights that are set into the bottom of the wood shelves. We had to add in more wood shelves and lights than we originally put in, since I had wadded the cabinets so full the light wasn't traveling very far downwards.
You can also purchase the glass doors separately. I love these doors! They open in the middle and are very easy to use. I detest those china cabinets that open on the sides, as they're very difficult to use, especially if you want to remove figurines or shuffle them around from time to time. I know I'd be breaking figurines left and right if I had that kind, plus you can't put 2 of them next to each other.
Each of these cabinets, by the time I added in the glass shelves and lights, cost me less than $250.00. For the price of one expensive china cabinet, I was able to get 4 of these Billy Bookcases to use as display cabinets. I think these are way better than the usual cabinets used for displaying chinas.
Okay, now onto the individual photos of the shelves in these two cabinets. Enjoy!
Breyer cattle, many Beswicks, as well as a North Light, 2 HRs, Heredities, Goebel and I'm not sure what the donkey is (Sylvac?). Made in England is all I know from the backstamp, which is hard to read.
Cattle from Carol Herden, North Light Friesians and Farrier, Imhoff drafter (clay colored), HR mini rabbits and some Border Fine Arts.
More cattle from Carol Herden (I love her cattle), BFAs, AAA Clydesdale and a RW Percheron.
BFA cats, Beswick giraffe, Herden Clydesdale, Voltage custom glazed by Karen Gerhardt and a North Light bison.
More Breyer cattle, Japan zebra, HR mule and Clydesdale, as well as my first Beswick cattle (and the ones that got me started collecting cattle) - the older version of the Herefords. I still need to unpack the calf from this set.
BFA drafters, North Light Irish Drafts (including one CMed by Karen Gerhardt), resin Hereford from Animal Artistry, Beswick camel calf and a rolling horse from North Light.
Bull from Herden (painted as a Park White), BFA jumpers and cats, Creart fighting bull behind the Park White and an American Artists John Henry.
Little bit better view of the bottom shelf in the photo previous to this one and a whole row of Hartland 9" Saddlebreds (I have way more than these still packed away).
Beswick lion family and Creart Brahma bull, Cob Antelope and Bucking Bronco.
This is a far away view of the first two sets of Billy bookcases that went up. They're next to the entertainment center (yes, those are lawn ornaments of lighted deer on top - nice night lights, by the way) and tucked behind the computer table. Eventually the computer table (also from Ikea) will be moved when the official computer room is completed, some months down the road.
Breyer Molly McGuire, Beswick Zebras (in both color versions), BFA Black Stallion and Levade Saddlebred.
Lots of BFAs in this photo: 3 Day Eventing, cattle, drafters, and cat/border collie; HR mini fish, Beswick cow and North Light cats.
BFA cattle and lots of North Light foals, as well as a custom Baldric from Pour Horse that I got from Joan when I was a PH dealer years ago.
More Border Fine Arts - I love their figurines!
An entire row devoted to part of my Hartland Polo Pony collection (yep, more of those packed away), Herden zebra mare and foal, North Light pony, BFA drafter and Japan giraffe salt/pepper shakers.
Hartland Thoroughbred and the rest are Beswicks, with a few HR minis to fill in the gaps.
More BFA drafters, as well as some from NL, AA minis, Maureen Love Arabian foal and NL, HR and BFAs to fill in the empty spots.
NL owl, Hartland grazing mare in test color rose dapple grey, BFA swan and cygnets, AAA Hackney and Rearing Welsh pony and more BFA cats.
BFA Welsh Cob, BFA Showday at Darrowby, Creart Lipizzaner in grey and Marco Polo Sheep, NL Elephant, BHR resin Arabian and Japan Mare/Foal (forget the name of the company right now).
Yep, as you can see I like to wad my cabinets as full as they can get. I abhor an empty spot and I have to quickly fill it with something. I could never be one of those people that have a cabinet filled with a few things, so they're highlighted. Heck, with my style you're able to see something new every single time you look at them. Much more enjoyable, to my way of thinking. Hee, hee.
Update: I now have 9 Billy Bookcases in the house. Some of the figurines you see in these photos have been sold. Eventually photos will be updated and will include the newer cabinets.