If you don’t live near an IKEA, we kind of feel for you. Sure, some people will complain that all of their stuff looks the same, and everyone within a 100 mile radius will have the exact piece of furniture, but it’s great for simple things you need around the apartment.

It’s also awesome for college dorms, or your first apartment, but we do understand the want to decorate your home in a way that shows off your personal style.

This is why we are obsessed with IKEA hacks. Have you heard of this before? It’s where people take IKEA furniture and manipulate it in a way that makes it a custom piece. Our boyfriend did this with bookshelves to create a huge standing desk for himself at our apartment. It’s awesome, and it made us curious about what other projects there were out there that perhaps we could try on our own.

The best part is that so many people are doing it that an entire website was made to highlight some of the awesome projects. Here are five that I am dying to try.

1) Shabby Chic Nightstand – We love how they replaced the hardware on the dresser and glued some decorative pieces to the front.

2) Amber Kvintett – This awesome hack just took a bit of glass paint. The amber look warms up the room and gives it a vintage feel.

3) Reading Nook – We’re keeping this one in the vault for when we have kids one day.

4) Rustic Coffee Table – A 100% wood coffee table would run you SO much more than this hack. We are obsessed and want to make this immediately.

5) TARVA Coffee Station – You could also use this as bar area, or a spice drawer in your kitchen. We love the new legs they put on and the distressed look of the paint.

All of this inspires us to make some quick and easy changes to the apartment.

Have you ever done an IKEA hack or renovated furniture to make it your own style?

-Sasha Huff