For the last few months ever I moved into my swanky apartment in San Francisco, I have been thinking about how I could make this place look good without breaking the bank. Of course, my creativity doesn’t extend beyond the computer and I was at a loss, leaving the living room and bathroom pretty much in a minimalist state (as Chris describes it).

But I discovered Ikea Hacker, a blog devoted to making those oh-so-cheap materials into design reality. I can’t say too much on transforming pillowcases into clothing (um, I wouldn’t). But I was impressed by some of the hacks—namely bookshelves in the style of charlotte perriands and an upside down man lamp. I mean, I don’t want people to come into my apartment and say “HEY THAT’S FROM IKEA!”