Re-vamping the IKEA Lack Shelf

Like many young adults with their own home to furnish, I have purchased many pieces from IKEA.  I try to mix them in with older, ornate and even some vintage pieces.  IKEA furniture is great for a small apartment that needs to stay organized and tidy.  A piece I'm hoping to give a little bit of a  facelift to, is my Expedit shelving unit.  I want to paint the unit a matte colour... through researching online and mainly Apartment Therapy, I understand its a matter of getting the right primer (BIN), and then you're set to go.

Only problem... I live in 670 sq feet, there is really no room for me to execute this project.  I'm curious, how do other small apartment owners find the space to do projects like this one?

Ombre: not your hair, but on your walls

A trend that has gotten a lot of hype lately is the Ombre look... a trend that was huge last summer for hair has seeped into our homes!  Applied in the right room I think it can look gorgeous, it can give an almost dreamy feeling.  Ombre is being applied to more than just walls, furniture is also getting this dye job.  What do you think, yay or nay?