diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common.scss
index 8a672407f7b..df46e2efe05 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common.scss
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ a {
 
 .container-fluid  .sidebar { 
   width: 250px;
-  border-left: 1px solid $lite_border_color;
   height:100%;
   min-height:450px;
   float:right;
@@ -88,15 +87,19 @@ a {
 
 nav.main_menu { 
   border-radius: 4px;
-  box-shadow: 0 1px 2px black;
   width: 100%;
   margin: auto;
-  margin-top:20px;
-  margin-bottom:20px;
-  background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 0 30, color-stop(0.066, #595d63), to(#31363e));
-  background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(#595d63 6.6%, #31363e);
-  background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(#595d63 6.6%, #31363e);
-  background-image: -o-linear-gradient(#595d63 6.6%, #31363e);
+  margin-top:30px;
+  margin-bottom:30px;
+  background:#f1f1f1;
+  border:1px solid #ccc;
+  height:38px;
+
+  background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 0 30, color-stop(0.066, #f1f1f1), to(#dfdfdf));
+  background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(#f1f1f1 6.6%, #dfdfdf);
+  background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(#f1f1f1 6.6%, #202227);
+  background-image: -o-linear-gradient(#f1f1f1 6.6%, #202227);
+
 
   .label { 
     background:$hover;
@@ -117,17 +120,15 @@ nav.main_menu {
     }
     padding: 10px 25px;
     display: inline-block;
-    color: #D6DADF;
-    border-right: 1px solid #31363E;
+    color: $style_color;
+    border-right: 1px solid #ccc;
     position: relative;
     box-shadow: 1px 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1);
     margin: 0;
-    text-shadow: 0 -1px 0 black;
+    float:left;
+    text-shadow:0 1px 1px white;
     &.current { 
-      background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 0 30, color-stop(0.066, #595d63), to(#2c2f35));
-      background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(#595d63 6.6%, #2c2f35);
-      background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(#595d63 6.6%, #202227);
-      background-image: -o-linear-gradient(#595d63 6.6%, #202227);
+      background:#DDD;
     }
   }
 }
@@ -228,11 +229,6 @@ img.lil_av {
   }
 }
 
-.well { 
-  a h3 {
-    color:$link_color;
-  }
-}
 .widget { 
   padding:20px;
   margin-bottom:20px;
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/_app_menu.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/_app_menu.html.haml
index 75e8a9bfe7f..484ac6303e7 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/_app_menu.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/_app_menu.html.haml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 %nav.main_menu
-  -#= link_to "Activities", dashboard_path, :class => "#{"active" if current_page?(dashboard_path) || current_page?(root_path) }"
-  = link_to "Projects", projects_path, :class => "#{"active" if current_page?(projects_path)}"
-  = link_to "Issues", dashboard_issues_path, :class => "#{"active" if current_page?(dashboard_issues_path)}", :id => "issues_slide"
-  = link_to "Requests", dashboard_merge_requests_path, :class => "#{"active" if current_page?(dashboard_merge_requests_path)}", :id => "merge_requests_slide"
-  = link_to "Help", help_path, :class => "#{"active" if controller.controller_name == "help"}"
+  = link_to "Projects", projects_path, :class => "#{"current" if current_page?(projects_path) || current_page?(root_path)}"
+  = link_to "Issues", dashboard_issues_path, :class => "#{"current" if current_page?(dashboard_issues_path)}", :id => "issues_slide"
+  = link_to "Requests", dashboard_merge_requests_path, :class => "#{"current" if current_page?(dashboard_merge_requests_path)}", :id => "merge_requests_slide"
+  = link_to "Help", help_path, :class => "#{"current" if controller.controller_name == "help"}"
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/_projects_side.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/_projects_side.html.haml
index 84aba5da446..2edd99f5767 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/_projects_side.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/_projects_side.html.haml
@@ -1,30 +1,21 @@
 %aside.projects
   - if current_user.can_create_project?
-    .alert-message.block-message
+    .widget
       You can create at least
       = current_user.projects_limit
       projects. Click on button to add a new one
-      .alert-actions
-        = link_to new_project_path, :class => "btn small" do 
-          New Project » 
+      %hr
+      = link_to new_project_path, :class => "btn small" do 
+        New Project » 
 
   - if current_user.is_admin?
-    .alert-message.block-message
+    .widget
       You have administrator privilegies. You can configure application following this button:
-      .alert-actions
-        = link_to admin_root_path, :class => "btn small", :title => "Admin"  do 
-          Visit Admin Area »
+      %hr
+      = link_to admin_root_path, :class => "btn small", :title => "Admin"  do 
+        Visit Admin Area »
 
   - if current_user.projects.count > 0
-    %div.entry
-      %h5
-        Recent Projects:
-      %ul
-        - current_user.projects.order("id DESC").limit(5).each do |project|
-          %li
-            = link_to project_path(project) do
-              = project.name
-      = link_to "More  » ", projects_path
-
+    = render "widgets/recent_projects"