White furniture is trendy and goes with everything. No one knows this better than Ikea a store that made a tall white bookcase “named Billy” the foundation for its business. For more than 30 years Ikea has seduced the world with a tall white bookcase that has sold to more than 41 millions until today.
The company created in 1943 by a 17 year old Swede, started to offer furniture in kits that sold in boxes around 1956. People could assemble their furniture at home, save a lot of money, and the "do it yourself concept" in matter of furniture was born. Creative ideas kept coming and some of their furniture became best sellers.
Among these best sellers is the ubiquitous Billy bookcase. Since 1978 this tall white bookcase has won the heart of generations. At first it is differentiated from the competition by its simplicity and functionality.
Today you can buy this bookcase in many different colors, including silver, black, red, and several wood tones, as well as in many sizes. It is interesting to note however, that while millions of bookcases have been sold by Ikea, only the number of tall white bookcases is usually reported. This indicates without contest that the tall white bookcase is the star of the show.
It is undeniable that in later years the quality of this tall white bookcase has diminished and that is is not as strong as it used to be. When in the late 80’s or early 90’s we bought a Billy we could count on at least 10 years of good service, sometimes even more, and stories of what people have done with old bookcases abound. Perhaps the company is bowing to the need to provide a tall white bookcase at a very low price, but today’s Billy has a cardboard back instead of its original hardboard, making it less sturdy and more susceptible to humidity damage. If however, you need a tall white bookcase and your budget is limited, I would encourage you to look at this super star of the bookcase world.
This type of furniture is perfect for kids rooms but might not be appropriate in every living room and is certainly not the type of bookcase that you would use with what most consider "fine furniture". For a top quality white bookcase it is advisable to have it custom made. There are companies online who specialize in making good quality bookcases of any size to your specifications.
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