My biggest bedroom problem right now is the furniture arrangement! We have a bedroom large enough for all of our necessary furniture, with some wiggle room. However, because of my partner's sleep needs, we have to have the bed positioned up against a specific wall. Because of that, we have a weird layout that drives me up a wall!

Finding good but inexpensive black out curtains. I currently have blinds and two sets of black out curtains hanging and light still gets in. They're also quite ugly.

Bed skirt sliding around. Same with mattress which I know is causing the skirt problem. Fitted sheet not staying on.

Living in a Victorian house, I'd say the biggest issue is closet space. Our closets are long and deep, but most of them have one door, usually situated on the far end of the space. It can be a bit frustrating because we end up having to reach way in to dig out anything that is beyond the opening of the doorway.

We are considering opening up the walls to widen the doors, making access a bit easier. But then we lose precious wall space for bed placement, a dresser, etc.

This is a great start! Thank you.

My biggest problem is the shape of my bedroom. There is no good place to put my bed where it doesn't take up too much of the room.

I can however, solve a couple of the problems mentioned in this post:

Here's a step by step tutorial for neatly folding fitted sheets: http://www.wikihow.com/Fold-a-Fitted-Sheet

Also, storing folded sheets in a matching pillowcase is an easy and neat way to keep your sheet sets organized.

:)

My pillows always look frumpy. I would like to learn some tricks on staging a bed.

Storing everyday things. My dresser is always lined off with things I use daily but are unsightly :( Also I cant paint and no matter what I do my bedroom looks dorm like.

k2yhe - We have an old craftsman and did just that. We (hired a contractor) opened the wall up and used louvered bi-fold doors, plantation style which look nice and save on space. He painted them white to match the trim. Looks sharp.

Then we ran a 96" heavy duty chrome closet pole across the entire closet and it holds up fine. (Heavy duty is the key - we didn't want to waste space with a support pole or shelf) We threw in some shelving at the top and one side, hooks on the other and found an old small shelf for shoes. Didn't spend any money on a fancy closet system.

I really think it was the best improvement we've made to the house....my closet is always organized and a joy to go in and out of every morning - even a year and a half later. But I get your concern about wall space....we did it only in the "master" bedroom room for this reason. The 2nd bedroom is more for storage we don't use every day, so we left it alone.

Remember, if you open up your closet, you may not need as big a dresser. I was shocked at how much more stuff I could fit when I could get things in and out more easily. We even fit our laundry hamper in there now!

On the bed skirt issue - I got these little corkscrew pins at Wal-Mart in the sewing department that I use to anchor the skirt to the box spring. Then I had to have help putting the mattress back on top, but now I don't have to worry about the bed skirt moving when I make the bed.

My biggest problem is blocking light for when I need to sleep during the day versus cats that hate having window access impeded. Or access to me impeded. My black out curtains do a decent job, but they don't close completely. Even if they did, I still have to leave the blinds up slightly so the cats can see out or they'll shred the blinds. I had to put a black out curtain over my bedroom door as well, since I can't close the bedroom (codependent cat destroyed the carpet the one time I tried that - why do I have clingy cats?). I found decent ones that look good and I've made them look stylish when tied back, but it still doesn't block enough light to let me sleep decently.

We have a platform bed -- mattress but no box spring. How do we keep the coverlet looking neat? It's a thin comforter thingy, not fluffy and thick, more like a thick blanket. I do hospital corners on the bottom but can't bring myself to tuck in the comforter along the sides of the bed every morning. I love the way it looks with the sides tucked in, but it's a pain to do that EVERY SINGLE DAY. The coverlet won't stay in place just draped over the bed, so tucking in somewhere is a must. If I could solve this problem, I'd be so happy!

And the blackout curtain thing. Solving that would make me happy too!

Even though I know it's discussed all the time, I struggle with finding attractive storage and organization-- especially for shoes. I live in a hundred-year-old house and have a teeny-tiny closet. I use the over-the-door shoe organizers and a clothing rack, but I hate how they look.

Not my problem, but I thought it was interesting that I had solutions for most of yours.
folding fitted sheet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHTyH2nuFAw
First time is odd, but then it gets easier.

My duvet covers have strings inside to tie the corners of the duvet. My covers are bigger than my duvet ( now that is sooo annoying), but at least they don't move around.

I fold my king size sheets in one pile, and my twin in another pile, next to each other, so I know which one goes with which bed.

Maybe try adding some vinegar in the rinse cycle when the sheets get washed? The hardness may be just a fabric or water issue.
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What annoys me about my bedroom is that the heat/AC vent is under the window, which if I want to get some long floor drapes, I have to pay attention that they don't cover the vent.
And the other one, that all fitted sheets are always too big for our bed. They never fit tightly. Our mattress is just not as deep as they make the sheets now.

Some of you might find it useful to use a fitted sheet over the base instead of a valance - it's got cleaner lines and generally stays in place better. Also I use a few nappy pins to hold things together in some places - such as my doona moving around inside of the cover... if you pin the corners it helps a lot. Big pins won't rip the fabric either.

My husband and I are lucky enough to have a spacious bedroom with an amazing walk in closet and attached bathroom. We're also lucky to have windows on two walls! That said, the way our room is designed, the only place to put the bed where there is still room for nightstands is under a small privacy window (the kind that are small and high up). The window isn't centered in the room though, and if we center the bed along that wall, the window is way off to the left. If we center the bed under the window however, the bed is too close to the wall where the bathroom door is...leaving no room for a nightstand and a cramped feeling in an otherwise large, open room. The other walls in the room have random nooks that make the space interesting but don't give us options for moving the bed. I'd hate to lose the light coming in through the privacy window (and the cross breeze when we open the windows) but curtains covering the entire window are the only option I can think of!

Another thing... I have 2 or 3 fitted sheets on my top mattress at a time. I have cats so it makes it easier to pull off a hairy layer and shove it in the wash. I also vacuum my bed at least once a week.

for your problems, they sell little things that you put on the inside at the corners of your duvet to hold your blanket in place :) and there is a little trick on pinterest about folding fitted sheets :)

my issue is how much i love my bed, i never want to leave it :) that, and now that i'm getting around to updating the look of everything i have, trying to find new bedding i equally like, and picking paint colors to coordinate the new stuff i will be painting :)

I store my duvet (quilt) cover sets inside one of the pillow cases - spare pillowcases, cover, and a fitted sheet all go inside after folding. It means I'm grabbing a 'kit' to change the sheets, and everything matches.

My biggest issue - hmmmm.....a lack of storage, a very small room, lots of windows (letting in heat in summer, or cold in winter), and yet the thing that peeves me most is opening the window as the fly screen needs opening inwards to open the glass window outwards. Having no choice but to put my bed against at least one wall of windows renders them useless!

Sheets that are sold only in sets: I have a king bed, but don't want humungous king-sized pillowcases for my standard-sized pillows.

To prevent your duvet from moving inside its cover, just sew a button at each corner of the duvet, then attach elastic strings to your covers, to form loose buttonholes. Problem solved.

My bedroom is one of my favorite room; it has issues due to the fact that our house is still undergoing heavy renovations, but I don't think you can call a work in progress a "problem".

There's only one thing: we chose the wrong paint finish, but the color is still beautiful, even in a flat finish.

We don't have build-in closets, so storage space is a big issue. I also find it hard to find a space where I can leave clothes that I want to wear the next day.
I also have a hard time to find art for the bedroom. I work in a very stimulating job where literarily every piece of wall is covered with pics, posters and notes so I want something soothing in my bedroom. I could't find anything nice so I left my walls bare and this looks quite boring.

My biggest problem is external noise/smells. My college student upstairs neighbors access their apartment via an external staircase that is right next to my bedroom window, and I swear they always wear boots. I live across the street from a basketball court, and in the summer it attracts several would be basketball stars at 2 am. I leave the windows open on hotter days because I don't have a/c, which works fine until a skunk rambles by in the early morning, my dog barks at the skunk, the skunk sprays, and I wake up to a foul skunk taste in my mouth.

I know - these are the kinds of problems that can only be solved by moving...

For the duvet, I use rubber bands. I rubber band the comforter to two inside corners of the duvet. It makes it MUCH easier to get the duvet on because I just pull on those two corners from the right side to pull the comforter in. It never shifts.

My issue is neat storage. My bedroom always looks cluttered :-p

Problem: Husband thrashes around at night, shaking the bed and waking me. Solution: Replacing the coil mattress and box spring with a memory-foam mattress and platform bed; getting him treatment for his restless leg syndrome.

I solved this on my queen-size bed by purchasing a king-size duvet and cover. Looks great.

Use a side table for your night stand. They have more space.

1. I can't seem to find nice cotton sheets in a pretty color that are not satin. I HATE satin sheets, they always wrinkle and the bed looks undone even when done.
2. My husband's side of the bed is always a quagmire of headphones, phone chargers, laptop charger, socks, boxers and occasional apple pits. I haven't found a side table that can accommodate all of this easily.

I found black out curtains on Amazon that work REALLY well. And they do have them in colors other than hot pink (raspberry).
http://www.designocd.com/2012/11/bedroom-fabrics/

I forever solved all sheet and duvet problems by discovering the most fantastic linens I have ever touched -- http://www.roughlinen.com

They don't believe in fitted sheets and advise you to tuck a flat sheet around the mattress -- and imagine, it stays put! t worked for our grandmothers and turns out it's still a foolproof system. Rough linen top sheets are extra long and wide, no skimping like modern sheet companies tend to do. Linen is gorgeous, soft, lasts forever, stays cool in summer and warm in winter, and I love the classic look of plain white linen sheets.

We have several:

1. The bedroom has cathedral ceilings, and our furniture (and personal style) isn't "massive" enough to make the room look warm, well-decorated, and "finished." I don't know what to do with the broad, windowless expanse of walls on on 2 sides of the room.

2. There is a 1-foot deep ledge that runs horizontally across the wall at about 9 feet off the floor. The wall continues above it. It is accented by a piece of molding at the front edge. All that has been on the ledge (under which are the closet doors and bathroom door) is dust.

3. When the master bathroom opens directly off the bedroom, how closely do they have to match? How divergent could the wall colors be? What about bathroom linens vs. bed linens?

Black out curtains used to be a problem. Most of them ARE ugly, but I found pretty ones at Pottery Barn. They're backed with blackout fabric, but pretty silky stuff in front.

But unless I hang them INside the windows with a tension rod, the light still comes through the sides. I've resorted to thumbtacks, sad to say.

My problem is where to put clothes that are worn once (or twice) but dont' need to be in the laundry hamper yet. How do you remember which ones you've worn enough times to wash without hanging or folding them up with the lovely fresh clean clothes?

I dont' wash sweaters after only one wearing, for example, unless I've spilled on them. And "church clothes" (synagogue clothes for me) aren't worn long enough to be tossed in he wash either. But I dont' want to resort to sniffing.

So does anyone have a secondary clothing storage place for the once-worn?

I also hate having a hamper in the closet because it doesn't smell fresh, and I dont' want it in my bedroom, and the bathroom's too small, and my apt has laundry on another floor. It needs to be where I undress, so putting it in a utility closet doesnt' help either.

Ideas?

I now swear by those bottom sheet garter-belt things. I didn't realize how much I was struggling with the stupid sheet until I strapped the damn thing down so it couldn't move! We have these, and they work great: http://tinyurl.com/bcewe6a. We also have some cheap generic ones, and they work great too!

We're opening up our closet this year (hopefully), so glad to know that worked out, fishey44!

Muesli, thank you. those are awesome answers. :)

My floor registers takes up nearly all of my free walls and end just short of the corners of the room-- making it hard to find a good way to arrange the furniture. There's an awkward gap between the wall and each piece of furniture I have. So far the only solution my boyfriend and I came up with was to put our dresser in the closet so it stays out of sight.

My biggest problem was storage for lingerie, night wear, workout clothes, etc. I gave away my dressers because they fit awkwardly in the bedroom plus they were black holes for junk. I ended up getting a craft organizer cart with 12 drawers from Bed Bath and Beyond. It fits in my closet and the geek in me is pleased that I labeled each drawer so I am no longer yanking each one open in the morning looking for my tights. I had planned to get an Elfa system for my closet but after finding the cart and donating a significant amount of clothes to Goodwill, I am fine with things as they are.

Yes to the duvet problem! Mine always shifts inside its cover. My mom suggested sewing ties or buttons inside, though I am a lousy seamstress.

One problem I'm about to face is that we're in the market for a bigger mattress -- moving up from a full to a queen -- and I have NO idea what to look for or what's a reasonable price. I want something that is good quality and will last, but that is is the price range of a few hundred bucks.

SisterVashti -- I may have a solution for you.
I have two closet doors in my bedroom, on the inside of each I have installed a big strong coat hook. They serve multiple purposes, one, I take the hanger off the rod when I choose something to wear, and place them on the hook so I never have to scrounge for empty hangers. Also, if I wear something that doesn't need to be washed, I hang it back up and store it on the hook for another wear.
I also use the hooks to plan outfits for the next day. Or, post-laundry... items that need to be ironed go on the hook until I have time to iron. That way I'm not planning something to wear, only to find it needs ironing.

Hope that helps!

I second this. We have a King Sized duvet on a Queen bed. Life changing.

My husband and I dream of a navy blue bedroom, like these: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/paint-color-portfolio-navy-bedrooms-178519

We have a decently large room, high ceiling, dark-mahogany-esque furniture, and north windows. I fear it will look too dark or too college guy room. We're also not ones to use a ton of pillows or "decorator accessories" so accent colors would be minimal.

Storage, as well. We live in an old house with no built in wardrobes or closets. My clothes end up everywhere. We have a one month old baby in our room too so also have all of her stuff. I think the room is a good size, but it always just looks a mess. I'd love it to be a peaceful haven!

@Raven78, I don't know if that is genius or madness ;)

Mine are sheet-related, too. My fitted sheet constantly moves, especially when my boyfriend stays. I wish I could get it to stay put and stop slipping up! I have the duvet problem, too, of it not staying in the right place.

Shifting Duvets/Covers: If you aren't crafty or are too lazy to sew buttons or ties to your duvet and its cover, you can also use safety pins! I line up the duvet and its cover (inside out) and then pin them together in the top corners and once along each side. I then flip the duvet cover right side out and the duvet is nicely positioned inside. I've done this safety pin trick for years and never been poked by a wayward safety pin.

Love the idea of making a bed "kit" inside a pillowcase! So smart!

I second the worn-but-not-yet-dirty clothes storage problem. I usually end up draping them over the side of my tall hamper, which isn't exactly a great solution.

My boyfriend and I live in a 750sq ft apartment, so I've designated all of his extras to the bedroom, which means old records, comic books and paintings by his friends, along with the mismatched furniture. All of the excess has gone here so our hosting space can flow nicely without him having to get rid of what he loves. Now I'm having trouble creating a room that remotely connects to the rest of the apartment.

chikchik - thanks! I'll try that. I do have a hook inside my closet door that I thought I'd use for my bathrobe, but that always ends up on the hook inside the bathroom door. I'll be trying your system soon.

I'm planning a major reorganization of my bedroom space. I will purchase trays and boxes to contain items on the night table and dresser, perhaps some storage boxes for under the bed. I'll move some things out of the bedroom that don't really need to be stored in there. Eventually I'll get a new mattress. I could use some housekeeping tips on things like how often to turn or flip mattresses, wash curtains, change sheets, when to replace pillows, etc. Basic stuff to keep my bedroom a pleasant oasis--stuff I should know but somehow don't.

Cotton sheets get less soft? I find it's the opposite--cotton sheets get softer the longer you have them and the more you wash them.

For the problem of the fitted sheet that is too big for the bed, there are sheet clips that will hold the sheet on the mattress. The clips also work for the mattress pad--I have the same too-large problem with the mattress pad.

My problems are:

Blacking out the windows.

Not enough closet space in a 100 year old house--the closet is not deep enough for a standard hanger, except right where the closet door is.

I don't like hampers, but the closet isn't big enough for a laundry basket.

The same worn-but-not-dirty problem mentioned above.

Adequate shoe storage--I have a separate little cabinet for shoes, but I'd like to get rid of it.

My bedroom has too many little tiny pieces of furniture and it looks all bits-and-pieces and not coordinated in any way. Two nightstands, a hamper, a shoe cabinet, a blanket chest, a bookcase. As well as the bed, the dresser and a rocking chair. It all fits, but it doesn't look as nice as I'd like.

I'd like to put my bed in front of the window, but I don't have a headboard and can't afford a nice one, and since I read in bed a lot, I need something other than the window to lean against.

I have a suggestion for your sheet problem - (not knowing what size they all are when folded). I had the same issue as my room has a king bed, oldest son has queen and youngest son has double/full bed. I started putting my sheets for my bed in my closet, and storing the boy's sheets in their own rooms (in a closet or one of their drawers if there's room). That way they are right there in the right room and now I have extra room in the hall/linen closet for other stuff.

*who knows why but our bed is MASSIVE (close to 9 feet wide). the home is partly furnished. the bed is a HUGE platform is a very pretty dark wood w/ 2 queens pushed together on top of that. so, when i make the bed, it looks weird b/c i have 2 diff covers. i'm using a lightweight hand-knit blanket (b/c we live in thailand & it's hot), ubt my husband prefers a huge fluffy downy comforter. & it's practical, but i know it looks odd. lol

love the bedroom though. can't complain.

I have some of the same problems as already covered - an off-center privacy window that the bed really has to go under, but to make enough room for a dresser to open, the bed has to be pushed even further off to the side so it doesn't line up with the window. It never feels quite right.

And I want more light blocking at the windows, but having cats that want to sit on the windowsills. When I moved into my place nearly 9 years ago I swore the first thing I would do would be to get rid of the vertical blinds. But they're still there because of the cat issue. And they rattle whenever the cats go onto the windowsill, so not only are they ugly, the noise wakes me up. But I just can't figure out how to fix the situation. I suppose really thick curtains would be the best solution, but they would feel too heavy for the house, which I want to be light and airy.

My problem: Iuse a waterproof mattress pad that does not stay put. (I have litte kids, hence the waterproof.) I also second the clutter issue. Clothes end up everywhere and my mighstand is usually a disaster. I need tips!

Cat hair is a big problem. I love to sleep with my cats, but they leave hair everywhere, no matter how much I brush them. I'm resigned to the hair...and frequent washing and vacuuming. But decorating around pet hair means no dark colors on the bed, no velvet or chenille or other cat-hair-trapping textiles on the bed or accent furniture. Oh, and no fabrics that are too delicate for claws or the washing machine.. It's a difficult thing to balance the interior space I want see with the one I don't want to see....

And the other is finding bedside tables that are 28" or 29" tall. Why don't furniture makers make tall bedside tables to go with tall beds??? It's easy to find desks and tables that height, but impossible to find side tables, unless you go custom from Room and Board, for example, at $500 each. YIKES! I was thinking of doing an ikea hack, but didn't have the tools to cut through steel. So I called a local welding shop... and the guy said, "hey, instead of paying me to monkey with cheap $130 table, I'll make you the frame you want for $150." Turns out they regularly work with 2"x2" steel and they will make me a parsons table frame exactly the size I want: 30" wide x20" deep x 29" tall. I can get it in polished steel (looks like gunmetal) for my budget, and buy some brushed-metal finish spray paint from Rustoleum for the silver finish I want. I'll have to go to a glass shop for tops, but all said, I'll spend about $200 each. That's a massive savings and worth the legwork for me.

I guess the moral of the story is keep thinking and thinking and asking around until you find what you want in your budget. But sheesh! it's taken me 2 years to find what I want.

For all of you looking for attractive blackout curtains: Joann Fabric sells blackout curtain liners you can sew to the back of any set of curtains you like. Their website shows a precut set but I could swear it was also available by the yard in the store.

In Hong Kong, most units don't have built-in closets like U.S. apartments do. Many apartments have a 3-4 foot wide window sill running the length/width of the bedroom (3 feet off the ground) and it's a gross wastage of space. It would make a fine "reading nook" or something else cute and quirky but since storage space is so scarce, I end up lining up boxes and wine crates to store books and handbags. Such a shame because the space is large enough for a three door wardrobe!

My other pet peeve is that one corner of the bedroom is always strewn with miscellaneous chargers; hiding them behind the nightstand would be neater but I promised myself I wouldn't keep my phone so close by while sleeping.

I also want to know what solutions people have come up with for storage of gently - worn clothing! The main thing that clutters our bedroom space because it lacks a firm home are those in between clothes - not clean enough for the closet but not ready for the laundry basket either. (Examples currently littering the bedroom include a pair of pants with some dog hair and wrinkles, not pristine enough to hang in closet lest they be pulled out for the office but fine for a day of home/errands/playground and a sweater that should go to the cleaners before being worn to work or out but is probably fine with jeans after work for a couple more evenings) Anyone have a stylish, tidy and organized solution?

My biggest problem is that we have a low-profile mattress (not a platform - the box spring is about half the height of a standard box spring). We have a sloped ceiling on one side of the room, so the only wall the bed can go on is only about 4 feet tall. A standard box spring just looked huge. I can't find a bedskirt that doesn't drag on the ground. We store things under the bed and have our box spring in plastic due to allergies, so we need something to cover it, but a standard-length bedskirt looks terrible and is a big tripping hazard.

I bought a garden unit condo, the bedrooms are very large but I cannot find a color that will bring more light into the room. Anyone have any suggestions? Loving the french colors of blue/greys and maybe a yellow?

Amen to the 100-year-old-house-no-storage issue.

Agreed with someone else on smells. My neighbour downstairs smokes and the smell travels through the vent-- even an air purifier doesn't seem to help. So far the solution has been taping over the vent with duct tape, but that's also my heat source. And I live in Canada!

Does anyone have a favourite system for organizing drawers of things like, say, shirts? I always find myself rooting around looking for something and messing up everything inside.

I agree with another post, I cant seem to keep the top of my dresser clutter free on a daily basis. Same for my bedside table. I have found at IKEA shelves that are meant for the kitchen but I use them in the bedroom and bathroom to help,organize all of my things. Shoe storage-cant find one system that works for all of my shoes. but I am able to store a lot of them in a plastic under the bed storage container.
Not enough storage or closet space so I have all different sorts of storage bins, baskets,
I just started keeping panty liners in my underwear drawer a few months ago and I can't believe I never thought of it before.
No space for a king size bed.

My problem is light to read by without waking your partner. Wall lights illuminate too much, bedside table lights illuminate too much or else the arm doesn't reach far enough to light the page of your book, book lights are awkward and get in the way of page turning. I have tried everything and have finally returned to my childhood habit of reading by flashlight resting on my shoulder.
My two solution offers are:
a) platform bed - We bought a king size duvet and cover for our queen size bed so it doesn't need to be tucked in to look nice. A bigger duvet wouldn't work for our camper so my mother found a piece of cloth similar in colour to duvet cover and sewed it to the bottom so it could stay tucked in.
b) cathedral ceiling - for some strange reason we have an 18 foot peak in our bedroom ceiling. At first I couldn't sleep! My husband installed a fir molding, to match the beams, at about 8 foot height and we painted the upper part a darker colour and that really helped.

1) Flannel top sheets that have shrunk sideways. We have four sets, and I think I'm going to cut up one or two top sheets to stitch onto the sides of the others. We have a queen size bed and prefer longer sides ~ which is why we always use a king size comforter. The queens don't have enough width or length to them.
2) Lack of a good water carafe with an ice reservoir ~ does anyone know if these exist?
3) I need ideas on how to warm up a bedroom with a medium aqua wall-to-wall carpet (I am not going to rip it up). It has off white walls. I am just stuck. I have green and blues in there now ~ too cold!

A heat and air deflector is a simple, inexpensive solution to annoyingly located registers. All the big box stores carry them.

Hi Xarcady - My daughter has the same issue with her bedroom furniture. Lots of small pieces and a large room to fill. It looked 'spattered' with all those little things. We got busy one day cleaning and painting all the wood furniure the same color. Then we took as many groups of three that wall space would allow and put them together. For example, her hope chest is flanked by a bookcase and a dresser, it gives the illusion that they are one unit. Maybe you could try using your blanket chest to replace one of the nightstands, then use the nightstand as a side table for the rocker.
When I was much younger, I used a closet pole, covered it with fabric, mounted it to the wall under my window and hung pillows from it for my headboard. There are several ways to mount it to the wall, large hooks, bolts with spacers or a heavy duty curtain rod bracket. I didn't have a whole lot of money so I used standard bed pillows and pinned them into vintage pillow cases. It looked great and I could move the pillows around and wash the cases when thay became soiled. It was so much easier on my back than the hard wall and I didn't bump my head on the window sill!

Hi Xarcady - My daughter has the same issue with her bedroom furniture. Lots of small pieces and a large room to fill. It looked 'spattered' with all those little things. We got busy one day cleaning and painting all the wood furniure the same color. Then we took as many groups of three that wall space would allow and put them together. For example, her hope chest is flanked by a bookcase and a dresser, it gives the illusion that they are one unit. Maybe you could try using your blanket chest to replace one of the nightstands, then use the nightstand as a side table for the rocker.
When I was much younger, I used a closet pole, covered it with fabric, mounted it to the wall under my window and hung pillows from it for my headboard. There are several ways to mount it to the wall, large hooks, bolts with spacers or a heavy duty curtain rod bracket. I didn't have a whole lot of money so I used standard bed pillows and pinned them into vintage pillow cases. It looked great and I could move the pillows around and wash the cases when thay became soiled. It was so much easier on my back than the hard wall and I didn't bump my head on the window sill!

Sorry, don't know why I have the same comments posted twice! I'm getting old!

My biggest problem is that the darned cat sometimes drinks out of my water glass when I'm asleep! I never know which night, but when it happens, it not only gets gross, but also there is water on my maple dresser in the morning. I am starting to think I should get my own sippy cup.

Also I wish I had gotten a nice bed frame instead of the box spring/mattress-on-wheeled-gunmetalgrey-frame, because it pretty much requires a bedskirt in order to not look hideous. This makes the bed look even bulkier in my small space, and it also collects cat hair.

My duvet used to slip around, but I sewed fabric bias tape to the corners of my duvet, and I do the same to the inside corners of every new cover I get. It's awkward to tie everything together after wash day, but it works.

Clothes used to be a huge problem for me. I can't deal with drawers or folding things - everything gets to be a wreck really quickly. Everything got dumped on the floor of the closet, which usually spilled out into the room. Nowadays, my dresser drawers are full of bedding, jewelry, and hair accessories. I hang EVERYTHING (even t-shirts) except underthings, socks/stockings, and jammies, which get tossed into bins on the shelf above the closet rail. I also installed secret coat hooks behind the door and inside the closet for occasions I want to re-wear something or don't have time to put things on hangers.

Also, shoes! I haven't figured out how to keep shoes organized yet. Most of them live in an old suitcase.

Solutions to bedskirt issues (aka staging tricks)

*Slipping: Try covering your box springs with a sheet before adding the skirt. Often, the bit of friction between the two materials is sufficient to resolve this issue. It's also a great way to get more mileage of a 'seen better days' fitted sheet.

*Too long: pinch the seam where the skirt is attached to the part that lays flat on the mattress. Starting at the foot of the bed, fold it up over itself, adjusting the length of the skirt & pin in place. Do the same with the sides, taking care at the corners to disguise the excess fabric. Pleat inward & secure from underneath w/pins if necessary. If you're ocd, make the folds/pleats on top of the box spring so that they meet in the center. The corners will be perfect & the fold/pleat with be at the center of the the foot of the bed. Crease with an iron & no one will know it wasn't designed that way.

*Too short: A coordinating flat sheet will work in a pinch, either as a bedskirt or under a too short bedskirt for a couple inches of added length.

Slipping mattresses: A fitted sheet on the box springs often resolves this issue as well. A scratchy wool army blanket sandwiched between mattress & box spring works great too.

The built-in dresser in my bedroom. Four drawers (two fat, two thin), about 3 feet wide, and waaay deeper then I need. Ugly green faux-lenolium top that creates an alcove as it is between the built in closet and the corner of the room. My bf has our other dresser, and I use this one, but its terrible. Every few months i reconofigure my stuff to try and waste less drawer space, but it never really works. The top has become a pseudo junk drawer. because its so deep, I've had a hard time coming up with a plan to turn it into a more usable storage space.

We used to have big furniture arrangement problems but i've fixed most of it. Now what irritates me the most is we have a huge closet that is buil into the wall, it has lots of storage space and can fit all our clothes but it's not very practical, you can't organize very well it's mostly all just kind of chucked in there and doesn't do much for us. I would like to get rid of it so the room would be bigger and just get some smaller units for our stuff. Space isn't alway good.

Worst problem--bedroom too small for a queen-size bed. I wouldn't be able to open the closet door if a bigger bed were where the double is, & anywhere else would risk the mattress being rained-in-on during the summer. No A/C, windows open. A double is plenty big enough for me, even tho' I'm not small; it's just not big enough for me, 3 large dogs, & 2 cats. Given the choice, I'll take the company over the space, but I dream of having both.

Fitted sheets don't fold flat and are hard to store neatly.

The store I work for, Au Lit Fine Linens, did a really great video and visual tutorial on this - http://www.aulitfinelinens.com/blogs/betweenthesheets/6085128-episode-61-how-to-fold-a-fitted-sheet

My duvet moves around inside its cover, and it drives me crazy.

I think the most important thing here is that you need your duvet cover to be the same size as your duvet. A lot of people have a problem where the duvet cover is too big which encourages it to shift around. I also find if you're taking it by the corners and shaking it out every morning that should help keep it in place. There are certain brands that have ties or snaps inside, which I'm sure would be easy to add by yourself.

I can never tell the size of stacked folded sheets and the sets get mixed up.

This is a tough one if you're washing all different sizes at once, especially if they're all the same colour.
If the sheets have their care labels still on them, maybe you could write the size on there? Just a T, D, Q, K to indicate the size.

My sheet sets are all different. I wish I had different sets that I could mix with.

I always tell people that they can never go wrong with a set of white sheets. It's classic and clean and will always go with whatever colours you decide to go with.

I like cotton sheets because it breathes better, but mine get less soft as they age.

This sounds like a problem with the cotton in your sheets or perhaps the way you're taking care of them. Good quality sheets are actually going to soften with age, we actually sell a line of cotton sheets that have been put in an enzyme wash to break the fibres down so it has that lived in feel already. They feel like marshmallows! Egyptian cotton (the real stuff) is the way to go.

For washing:
Machine wash your linens in cold or lukewarm water, hot for whites, using a mild detergent. Avoid detergents that contain bleach, ammonia or enzymes as they may cause discoloration. Cotton satin linens should be washed in cold water before use to set the fibres and prevent pilling.

Hanging to dry will ensure more longevity and less wrinkling. Do not use the hot dryer for more than ten minutes, if at all, as the heat destroys the natural fibres of the cotton and will considerably shorten the lifespan of your linens. Iron, if necessary, while damp.

Please be aware that skin creams and beauty products may stain or discolour your linens.

Other problems I've noticed that people have - getting their fitted sheet to stay on. This is an issue because people don't measure the depth of their mattress (of which we have no standard for anymore). You need a fitted sheet that measures 4" more than your mattress to allow for tuck-in and shrinkage from washing.

What finally worked for me was the standard fabric black out curtains (in navy) and a tan but sheer Moroccan-inspired fabric curtain (both from Target); stitch them together at the top, and then hang via a tension rod. (By stitching only the top together (which was actually just due to haste), you can pull back the black out curtain and have diffused light through the sheer.) Cost for two windows like this was about $50.

p.s. If you're in a city and an issue is street lights, see if your city will paint the street light black that is facing your window. (in DC they'll only do this if the streetlight is on your side of the street)

Our biggest bedroom problem right now is the duvet that slides off one side of the bed while we're sleeping. The worst part of that is it falls off toward my side (I'm warm) and away from my husband (he's cold). I tried tucking it in at the bottom, but it didn't make a difference.
Any ideas?

Isn't it amazing how we accommodate our pets?? I feel for you.

I use a pair of suspenders to keep my fitted sheets in place on the bed, just place between the boxspring and mattress and they snap on and off when you change sheets.
For the tea in bed idea, I've used trays if I get it to myself but that is rare. I mostly go for the laptop tables to use when on a couch and add wheels so I can move it right next to me, allows for it to brought partway on the bed or slide it away when I'm ready to sleep.
With reading in bed and having lighting, Ive attacched the lamps unside down on my canopy with the cords on the back side of the posts. They are out of the way and if I want to hide them I just let the fabric drape on the backside.

definitely the lack of storage and organization. especially for the accessory type things. and the daily dresser-top dump items. and shoes.

Thank you for linking those! I have them already, someone bought them for me several years ago; but then I got a cat, and she climbed them all the way to the top, leaving a long line of holes... I had forgotten the brand name.

A few ideas: @northwoods woman: a good waterbottle that keeps ice for a long time and doesn't sweat is sold by Flylady.net.
@vancGard: reading in bed: how about a headlamp that is worn for camping. We used one during the Sandy blackout-it made is so much easier to cook without having to hold a flashlight. I now use it for reading in bed too.
Slipping mattresses, bedskirts: would one of those mats you get to keep rugs from slipping put between the mattresses and bedskirt work?
Worn clothing: Designate one end of the rod for these items and put some kind of round separator like they use to mark off different sizes in department stores on the rod to mark off this area. A separate hook for ironing and mending items is good and also a hook for tomorrows clothes to hang out the night before so you can make sure everything is clean, ironed and has all buttons etc.

I have the exact same problems as sistervashti

Everything? I mildly hate my bedroom. I finally cleaned a decade's worth of accumulated crap out from under the bed (not mine), and hung up some art, but the art just makes the rest of the room look even shabbier and cluttered-er.

I just have two small problems, first is a giant dog crate. It fits just fine but it's seriously ugly. We would make something that's more like furniture but it has to go with us or to the dogsitters when we travel and we don't have room to store an extra travel kennel.

Second is that we live in earthquake country and we can't have anything hard, heavy, sharp, or breakable above the bed (basically anything you don't want to get hit in the face with) so there's just a big blank wall. I thought about a handmade quilt but it really wouldn't match anything else in the room.

I have register deflectors like this one to solve the floor vents right under the window issue... why do builders INSIST on doing this? Do none of them have curtains/drapes?

http://www.amazon.com/Model-50-Premium-Unbreakable-Deflector/dp/B00009W3G7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356972390&sr=8-1&keywords=register+deflector

How about a mirrored piece to mimic the window and give you some balance on that wall?

You can likely get trim at a hardware store to match or complement the window.

Claire - Try JCPenney, no joke. They have cotton sheets like grandma had/has... Try one of their JCPenney Home (brand name) 300 thread count sheet sets.

Wash with borax and add vinegar to the rinse - these things will make them even softer and nicer..

Good luck with the husband. No side table will fix it. It will just become full and the stuff will still be all over. At our house we are both guilty of this. :) If you figure out how to solve that one write a book and become wealthy!

lyrastar, what about some sort of removable film on the window glass itself?

You know, when we lived in housing where we could not paint anything we used to adhere fabric to the walls with liquid starch - maybe you could find a fabric you like and adhere it to the window itself rather than a curtain?

You know! I just may do that myself in my basement!!

This is going to sound silly, but I would like to have nice, neat, tidy nightstands. But I would also like to keep things like lotion on/in the nightstand. There isn't a drawer deep enough for a large bottle of lotion. Nor have I found bins or baskets tall enough for the lotions and potions and nail files and such that ideally would be within arm's reach when I'm in bed.

I'd like things to look pretty, but they also need to function.

Bobbie, I think you may be on to something. There are at least 4 different wood tones in my furniture. Painting or staining some of them would create a more unified look. And I'll experiment with different groupings of furniture--I like to rearrange things nearly every year and it's about time.

I like your headboard idea. The window sill is about 24" from the floor and the top of the bed is higher, about 31", but I could do cafe curtains on one window, and use the same fabric for pillows on the other window to create a headboard. Need to go and think about this some more--it could look really cute if I do it right.

Just thought of this - if your bedskirt is too long and you don't sew, you can buy iron-on hem tape at fabric stores, and use that to shorten it. :)

Our closet door and radiator are in the most inconvenient location possible. But my problem is mostly the radiator. Here's a 2D rendering of my bedroom layout and the culprit in question: http://i47.tinypic.com/2zsxpax.png.

Our bedroom is already really small and the fact that the radiator is two inches too far to the right is infuriating! I already don't like it but if it were just two inches to the left, we could have moved our bed to the opposite side and I would have dealt with it (putting a nightstand over the radiator).

No space to move the bed. No space for night stand. :(

For lightly worn clothes I hang items on a bamboo ladder like one of these: http://www.vivaterra.com/bamboo-ladder.html.
This is the only video I ever could follow on folding fitted sheets: http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/?s=folding+fitted+sheets
Afterwards, place fitted sheets and pillow cases in a stack and "wrap" a folded top sheet around the stack for a set.
Cailey and tammigirl, thanks for all the great info and ideas!
@daffodil, maybe time yourself on tucking in the bedding on the platform bed. You may realize it doesn't take that long!
@xarcady, you could transfer your lotion to a nice container that could be left out on the nightstand.
For those in earthquake country and/or wanting soothing art for walls, non-representational fabric crafts and weavings can be a beautiful choice.

Oh, please... where to start?

1) I hate our mattress. It cost a fortune and is comfortable, but it's so deep it's almost impossible to find fitted sheets for it. Where are all the 18 inch deep fitted sheets?

2) Fitted sheets that don't stay down - the middle rides up and has to be pulled and retucked every day.

3) My husband hates extra pillows. I love the look of nicely layered cushions, but he's kind of brought me around to his point of view. What's the point of making your bed every morning with about a dozen pillows and then taking them off at night? It looks pretty, but I"m never in my bedroom during the day. And at night - there are pillows and cushions all over the bedroom. They are just a pointless waste of time. At the same time, the pillows we sleep with is always a bit rumpled and unattractive. And it also doesn't feel great to have just those pillows on the bed, so I'd love to see better ways of making the bed. I'd love to see some aspirational, yet minimalist bedrooms.

Writing this I realize - the real problem is sleeping with a duvet. If we used a hotel type bedspread, that would cover the pillows. But I don't like them.

3) Clothing storage. What do you do with things you've worn once, but will wear again - jeans or a sweater? I need a solution that is better than draping them on a chair. That's what we use the nice sitting area in my bedroom for. No one ever sits there.

4) Dirty laundry. How to keep it neat, easily accessible, but not in the middle of things.

5) I have several problems that are mine and mine alone - weird house - but one thing that others might have. One wall of my closet, and the opposite wall of my room, are angled in, it's very hard to figure out how to use that space efficiently.

6) keeping the room cool during hot days, with no air conditioning. We have windows on three sides, and a ceiling fan, but I hate the ceiling fan. I'd love an attractive, unobtrusive and really good fan that wasn't on my ceiling but would draw air in from the windows.

7) How do people make beds in other countries? I remember sleeping in a Danish hotel years ago and everyone had a single duvet. I loved it. I'm curious about how others make their beds?

8) Storing out of season, or seldom worn clothes - ski or snowshoeing clothes, hiking in the mountains clothes, were to put fleece lined everything in the summer etc. Space isn't my issue, but efficient storage with easy retrieval is.

9) Pets. My black cat sleeps on my bed and leaves a little nest of black fur. How do people deal with pets on bedding? Or sleeping with pets?

@DoitYerself - can't you hang two objects on the wall with with the small privacy window that would balance the window out? For example, 2 framed mirrors of the same shape as the window, or pieces of art (again, same shape/size as the window). This should allow you to position your bed against the wall, centered.

How about making a fitted cloth cover, with a front flap attached only at the top? I see them all the time at agility trials--human wants portability of folding wire crate, dog wants a den.

My biggest problem this time of year is that my apartment building has terrible exterior insulation, so the wall in my bedroom, with a big window in it, is always freezing--as in, if you put your hand on an interior wall and the exterior wall, you can feel a definite temperature difference. And the only place to put my dresser is on that wall, so my clothes are always cold (nothing worse than putting on cold clothes in the morning). I would run a heavy curtain(s) across the whole wall, but I use part of the wall or hanging jewelry and such, so that doesn't work.

Oh, and my upstairs neighbors who get home at midnight and think that's a good time to vacuum their bedroom.

I'm too short to reach the top of my closet.

Seriously, it's a pain having to grab a chair to reach stuff. And I'm not talking about shelves above the hanging space - I mean actually reaching the hanging space!

Tiny bedroom, no windows! Love my apartment, every other room is amazing, but the bedroom feels very close and claustrophobic. How do I bring airy-ness to a little windowless room?

DoitYerself & lyrastar:
For your off-center privacy window wall: what about turning it into a gallery wall?

I was just reading a designer's blog that suggested making a gallery wall (wall covered in paintings and pictures of various sizes) to take the focus off a tv in a (more formal) living room. I think a similar concept could help out in a bedroom.

Here is a (sort of) example with a bit of a how-to: http://www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/artwork-from-oh-joys-episode-4.html

VancGard, what about a lamp on your bedside table that has a dimmer?

Thanks Tammigirl! I'll check out JCP for those sheets and I''l keep searching for a solution for this mess on my my husband's side of the bed... I tried training him but it didn't work....

I remember many, many years ago, chatting with my university English teacher. Somehow (I don't know how; we started out with French porcelain) she told me that she and her husband don't have a headboard to their bed, and have the same bedroom furniture they got in grad school. At the time, I thought that was very strange. She had grey hair, and children in high school. The subtext in my head was -- this will never be me.

Well, fast-forward 24 years, and this is me.

We have a fabulous mattress (for sleeping that is... will you be tackling that pesky problem Maxwell?), but no headboard. I cannot commit, and do not know where to have it made even if I could. Basically, all my life I had a Euro-style bed, with a thin mattress on slats, but have now found True Comfort in a deep mattress with a springy divan (sprung box springs). None of the beds I have ever liked have had box springs -- they are all these sleek Italian and French beds. Our bed looks nothing like Swedish ones, so no design inspiration there either.

As well, I consigned all our bedroom furniture to the garage over a year ago. It was the furniture my parents' had in their guest room -- faux Danish bed frame with night tables attached, a long chest of drawers and an upright cupboard. I hated its fakeness, and the fact that one of my mother's semi-feral rescues had marked it as his territory (loved Dandelion, just not the staining).

So, we have lived without furniture except for a very comfortable bed, ever since moving back from Europe a year ago.

We use headlamps and itty bitty night lites with which to read, and have bought 2 oversized plastic bins in which to store sheets, towels, and pillows.

We too have a cat that is mad for anything in a glass, and so the idea of a sippy cup...

It's funny how little effort and resources we put into our own room, when we try really hard to pull together our kids' rooms!

Rosemariel, from your picture, it looks like you could put your headboard on the wall opposite the door.

Could you get a piece of artwork in a light color and similar size to your privacy window and hang it to "match" the privacy window. Then there would be a little more symmetry on that wall and you could center the bed....

As someone who has an older house, and thus little closet space, I want to say that adding organizers does WONDERS. Worth every penny.

My bedroom is set up mostly how I'd like; the biggest problem is that the bench at the foot of the bed, which was intended only as a place to put on shoes, is turning into Where The Clothes Die. That's my fault alone!

I guess I'm just lucky. I like the public areas of my home to be neat and clean. I couldn't give a flip about the bedrooms. I do not live in a magazine.

I use blackout shades because of street lights, but I wish I could wake up to natural light from my huge windows. I'm sure there are expensive electronic shades I could put on a timer, but I don't have any budget-friendly solutions.

Also, even if we close the door we can hear the cat meowing pitifully at 5AM.

We use separate duvets (due to preferred sleeping temperatures), so we only need a fitted sheet, but sheets sold separately are never as cute as sets.

We have a 3-inch foam mattress, so need a platform bed. But most platform beds are incredibly low to the ground. I want a platform bed that's much higher (a) for under-bed storage and (b) to keep my head away from the ground (dust allergies being the reason for the foam mattress in the first place).

Sheets! Either the fitted sheets are so large that they shift around, or so tight that the elastic breaks and then they are just as bad as the large ones. And the top sheets are never big enough!

Blankets! I can never find one that fits. Mostly they are long enough - too long - but not wide enough, so they can never be neatly tucked.

We have a weird sort-of-wall in the middle of our very large bedroom which I think the previous owners stuck there so they'd have a place to set a table with a TV on top. It doesn't go up to the ceiling, and there is a ton of room on either side of it. Its functional, and all, but I've always wanted a bedroom with a separate seating area in it and now that's impossible without tearing out this wall thingie, and possibly having to replace the carpet. Not gonna happen.

Probably too late to help any one but, I purchased the old school roller shades from Ikea, took the translucent fabric off and re-rolled blackout fabric on them (purchased for cheap from the fabric store). I selected the blinds to be just wider than the windows so when lowered they totally block out the light. When up, they are almost invisible, which I love since I want to focus on the window and view. Seven years later, they are still working great. Best of all, the whole thing cost about 50 bucks.

The only place I can put my bed is with the head up against a large window. I keep the blinds and curtains closed at night because I'm paranoid about privacy while I'm sleeping and don't want anyone to see my head, but then my pillows always rustle up against the blinds and it's annoying. 'd love to create some kind of low-cost/DIY headboard thing to keep this from happening, but love the natural light I get in the day and don't want to block too much of that.

Some solutions:

Unsightly wires and other junk at the bedside tables: There are some good solutions on pinterest for hiding unsightly wires, book cubbies, etc in bedside tables. And you could go the route that Mr. Tizzler's mom used when he was a kid: throw away all the clothes he leaves on the floor until he starts picking them up (if the dirty clothes annoy you)

Re: slightly worn clothes: I hang a over-door hook on the closet door and I put my halfway clothes on that. That way, I see them and remember to wear them, plus they don't touch anything else. I do the same, on another hook, for my used workout clothes. (Hey,f you're just going to sweat in them again, why not wear them 2-3 times and save a little laundry money?)

re: shoe solutions: My BFF, who must have over 100 pairs of shoes, has something like this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40216908/. It looks amazing in her narrow entry hallway.

Hers was custom made in Hong Kong for cheap, but it's basically a bigger and nicer version of the Ikea Hemnes one. There are tons of ikea shoe cabinet hacks on the internets, too.

> My duvet moves around inside its cover, and it drives me crazy.
This! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.

My biggest problem is that fitted sheets rarely fit. Either they are too loose or too small and the mattress corners go up once the sheet it put around it. I don't get it. And yes, I do buy the right size.

I had the blackout issue too (neighbour in the house behind me has a floodlight that shines directly into my bedroom). I bought the curtains that I liked and then lined them with blackout lining from fabric.com. If you're handy with a sewing machine, it's as simple as cutting a rectangle a bit smaller than the curtains, sewing them on beneath the rings or pleats where the hanging hooks go and tacking it to the sides so the fabric isn't independent from the curtains.

If you're not handy with a sewing machine, use iron on bonding tape to join any seams or attach the fabric to the curtains (Fabric.com usually has this as well). I strongly suggest folding raw edges over and ironing them down for a more professional look. Adhere the fabric with the raw edges facing the back of the curtains. If you make a mistake, just heat it up with the iron, reposition it, and press it again (you'll probably need more tape to reposition).

Sister Vashti, and everybody else who has trouble finding a place for clothes that aren't [quite] dirty, here's what works for me. When I take my teaching clothes off, I go over the outside with a lint brush, then turn them inside-out and hang them on the shower rod to air. At bedtime, I put them in the closet. Looking at my closet, anything inside-out has been worn but is still reasonably clean. Anything right-side-in is fresh from the laundry or cleaners. Anything in the hamper, or on the floor next to it, is dirty.

In the spring, when I pack winter clothes away in boxes, it helps to have the inside-out reminder that some things need to be cleaned before it's safe to put them in mothballs.

MyHomespunHome, can you put a corkboard between your dresser and the wall? Either actual cork, or a piece of foam insulation, covered in whatever cloth you like. My desk is against two cold walls, and I have a big piece of blue foam wrapped around the corner keeping out drafts and serving as a bulletin board. I'm sure you could arrange something prettier for hanging jewelry or small pictures by your dresser.

I'm a start up interior designer/architect and I may be able to help you with your space planning issue free of charge. Just send me a photo of your space and a floor plan sketch of your room, and I will do the rest :) Just the photo may be sufficient, but the more info the better.
CollageInteriors@gmail.com

We need a bedframe. And a new bed because ours was a hand-me-down and is impossibly soft and uncomfortable. I painted the bedroom myself and there's a patch of unpainted wall above the windows over our bed! And paint STILL dripped on the baseboard and floors that I need to clean up/patch. Our closet is a disaster -- I need to cull, and look into DIYing some better storage options in there. Our bedroom ceiling fan broke and living in Florida, this just will not do, so we need to buy and install and new ceiling fan. I wouldn't mind a new duvet cover/sheets to match upcoming seasons. And we really need more than one set of sheets so I don't have to rush through laundering them all the time. The bedroom is probably my No. 1 focal point this year.

NO room! Our bed room is a BED room and nothing else. I would like to someday combine the two small bedrooms into one BIG one!!! ..... One day...

One of our biggest problems is our clothes! Our closet about the size of a coat closet. We own more clothes than we have room for and don't get around to doing the laundry but maybe every other week. There are always overflowing hampers and laundry baskets sitting around. And when I get the laundry done I don't always have time to fold it so it sits around and gets strewn all over the place by my toddler. Clean clothes and dirty clothes get all mixed together and I'm never sure what's what.

Also I really need to clear the clutter from the tops of the dressers. And find a proper nighstand- we've been using plastic storage tubs! Not very pretty!

Feather versus wool: In the winter I sleep beautifully: it's quiet and we use a feather blanket like the one I grew up with in Germany. my husband likes blankets and it's only in the deep of winter when he'll switch over. I find too many blankets oppressive.

Noise: In the summer we sleep with the door open to the yard and nearby street noise invades. I've sampled many ear plugs but they all have shortcomings. I'm thinking about adding more upholstery to absorb sound but we live in the desert and dust is aggressive. Maybe it's simply time to be on friendlier terms with the vacuum cleaner.

Other challenges: dusting the viga beams, the creaking of the bed frame I repurposed from a futon frame so that I have a tall bed, the nightstands I built to match the bed's height don't have enough room for books and stuff, but the thing I'm most ashamed of is living with my husband's blackout strategy: thumb tacking a hand towel over the window which is in the beautiful handmade door to the yard; over time the tack has eaten away at the wood in the door. Because the door is open lot in the summer, the curtain rod needs to be narrower than most or it will bang the wall when we open the door, destroying the adobe wall. A screw-in door stop won't work because eventually the adobe just crumbles. If I do anything during the Home Cure, I hope it's to take one of the readers suggestions and make a less destructive blackout curtain. Maybe eye-hooks and wire, or the roller blind idea.

Things I like: the bed is tall so I can easily vacuum underneath, and there's not much in the bedroom except the bed and nightstands. The walk-in closet is in another part of the house, and while this is a slight pain, my bedroom is never cluttered with smelly clothes like it used to be when we installed a makeshift closet in the bedroom. (Yay for small victories.) And since i wake earlier than my husband, I don't have to worry about making too much noise getting ready in the morning.

My bedroom is far from perfect. It is an awkward layout with two doors on one long wall and two windows right across in a room that is a total of 8x10 maximum with a teeny teeny 2x3 closet shared between the two of us - which basically means queen bed smack dab in the center of the room. I've tried having it shoved up against one wall and I hated having to crawl out at the foot and it seemed to actually reduced our storage options. I think it will always be somewhat of a work in progress, however, I have come to a few solutions that have helped. I bought this storage bed from ikea: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10098893/#/70098890
It has been a lifesaver for storing extra bedding, sweaters, work out gear, etc. And I also have storage boxes under the bed as well.

One of the first things we did is build two 2x2 cabinets on either side of the bed, which act as additional closet space. I was struggling however, with the small amount of space that was leftover, to come up with some sort of end table solution. There is about 10" next to each bed side. We mounted lamps to the sides of our "closets" and that works great, but needed a spot for bedside stuff, a glass of water etc. I thought about a storage headboard, but that would have left even less space to walk at the foot of the bed. Oh and our bed is in front of the window, so mounting a shelf was not an option. Well I finally bought these mini "cubes" the other day and so far it they are working great. I have them oriented vertically with the back to our "closets", but I'm thinking about mounting them too.
http://www.target.com/p/closetmaid-6-cube-mini-cubeicals-white/-/A-13217291?reco=Rec|pdp|13217291|ClickCP|item_page.vertical_1&lnk=Rec|pdp|ClickCP|item_page.vertical_1

Those have been our big moves. We also have to very very narrow tall dressers on either side of the bed. I assure you we do not have a lot of clothes and I have pared down on those A TON, but with such a small closet and a small house in general we have to store things like coats in the bedroom and such....

Oh a couple things were mentioned that I have found solutions to - I put laundry clips on "semi-dirty" clothes, I also have a hook next to the closet where I hang tomorrow's outfit.

One big change we have been prepping for is a baby (he's due this week). I thought about co-sleeping but my husband sleeps like a log and I like to curl up with lots of covers- so we got a rolling bassinet instead which will be on my side of the bed at night. We will see how well that works!

Re fitted sheets: Fold in half, pushing the bottom 'fitted' corners into the top ones. Fold in half again lengthwise, pushing one corner into the other. You should be left with a square that can be folded into a nice, flat rectangle.

Re sheet size: This drives me mad, too. I try to store sheets in the same room as the bed they are for, and I have even thought of labelling the shelves in my cupboards for when guests help with laundry and making up beds.

Re cats drinking from my glass: My cat is banished from my bedroom until I come up with a better solution for this. I've tried giving him his own bowl of water in the room, but he seems to prefer drinking from a glass.

Re lightly worn clothing: An Ikea over-the-door 5 hook hanger keeps most of my things off the floor.

Re bedside tables: Most are too small for purpose, so I use a low, hide-covered chair that has plenty of space for a light, bits of jewelery, and photos. Books, magazines and my laptop are stored underneath.

Jordan, mirrors will reflect the light of the little window and act as faux windows. Lots of DIYers are using small square mirrors with little pieces of wood trim to fake window panes and transom windows.

Anyone with a cat drinking from their glass needs a simple carafe. They are kind of fun, too. Mine is from Victorian Trading company, but you can get really simple ones from Amazon, too.

Exactly! I know I could use curtains and faux up a window, but it would take away from the light and airy almost desert-y feel of the house and make it very heavy. Plus, it would restrict airflow and light coming from that window, and in Portland, I need all the light I can get.

A friend recommended hanging shelves or art next to the window to extend the line a little, but I'm worried it'll just draw more attention?

Maxwell, while I am not a Martha fan, she had one tip that works for keeping duvet covers in place. Use minil binder clips at each corner. It may not be the most aesthetically pleasing look, but it works.

As for my problem with a bedroom, I wish I had one. I live in a studio!

@DoitYerself, I saw this tv show where they put drapes on both sides of the window, where one side of the window is slightly covered by the drape to make it "look" like the window is centered on that wall. It's an optical illusion, and you don't have to cover the entire window.

@ryttu3k, I put a small step stool inside my 9yr old daughter's closet so she can reach stuff.... the stool permanently lives in her closet.... and I have another stool especially for the linen closet so I can reach the top shelf..... and it's always there, so I don't have to go get a chair from somewhere else.... but for my 5 year old who still can't reach (even with the stool), I had to install a hanging bar lower, so she can reach her clothes.

I gave up on duvets about five years ago. They never looked neat when the bed was made and I found them too hot to sleep under. We live in New England and I sleep with an open window next to the bed. My poor husband is cold all the time so I got a twin-size down comforter in a compatible color and he sleeps under that, on top of the arrangement we have now year round: top sheet, cotton blanket and cotton quilt. Daytimes, the throw is folded at the foot of the bed and is handy for naps.

I am always looking for crisp sheets, not easy to find in this day of fake thread counts and that slimy "sateen" finish. I don't want soft sheets any more than I want soft bread. . Closet woes? Just tidy it every day - my new year's resolution.

I have eliminated some furniture by using wall sconces for bed lights, and using a small desk as one of our bedside tables, with enough little drawers to use for cosmetics. that's where I do makeup and nails, freeing up the bathroom storage from so much clutter. sometimes you have to rethink storage possibilities. We have a fireplace, two big windows and four doors in our small room, plus a huge radiator. Only one place to put the bed, feng shui be hanged!

And PS, I buy king-size blankets and quilts for our queen-size bed. Lots of tuck-in.

I put together my own bed/storage system in my small bedroom by placing a tall bookshelf on either side of my double bed. I used the wooden shelves that came with for the top halves and added wire shelving to bottom halves to have enough shelf space. I hung short tension rods with small vintage table cloths to cover the wire shelving. I use coordinating labeled boxes on some shelves to hold socks, scarves, smaller items, and have lots of room for books, alarm clock, etc. since I use the shelves as my night stand. Wall mounted swing arm lamp for reading is easy to reach from bed. I use the wall as my headboard. May hang artwork above the bed at some point. You could also do something like hang a valance on a tension rod between the tops of the bookshelves. Not my original idea, but I did improvise a few things for myself. I see a side view from the door as I enter the room; I like it so much I wish I could see it face-on as I enter!

My bed skirt moves around a lot and nothing on my bed matches. Also, I have a big closet but I kept my grandma's old dresser because it has an amazing mirror. The dresser is enormous, so the room feels really squished. (I'm trying to decide whether to sell it or repaint it.) And... my brother's living in my old office temporarily (no idea when he's moving out), so I'm storing office/craft supplies in weird places. My bedroom is housing my sewing supplies and a very large office chair. I don't want to get rid of it, because it's a great chair, but it's taking up a lot of room.

Oh the things that are wrong in my bedroom are many. Outdated hi-rise poster bed, antique dressers and armoire take up so much space. Would like to fine updated solutions to clothes storage to free up floor space. Down sizing our King to a Queen sized bed is not an option but maybe a platform bed with drawer storage would be a good idea. Wall hung furniture on either side of bed would be a plus as well. Money is tight so any DIY options would be appreciated.

Noise: My bedroom is against the dining room and bathroom of another apartment. Aesthetically and in terms of flow, my bed would best be placed against the wall the adjoins the other apartment's dining room, but there's just a bit too much noise a bit too often. My current neighbors looove to fight in the bathroom, too, and they fight often.

Bed risers that are absolutely necessary for me, but absolutely fugly.

Sheets: When did they stop selling sheets except in sets? I can't stand sleeping with a top sheet and it is very hard to find sheets sold except in sets. (It seems wasteful to buy a set and dispose of the top sheet. IMO this is just the sheet makers trying to get folks to buy things they don't want.) And despite the recent obsession with thread count, I really dislike the feel of contemporary sheets. I long for the sheets of yore: 100% cotton, substantial, easy care, cool and crisp. Preferably with nature (forest or floral) prints.

Lack of closet space.

We live in an apartment built in the 30's. Our bedroom has the worst layout and I've never been able to arrange furniture to fit even though it's 12x13! Our N. wall has a door in the middle that opens into the room and goes toward the bath. The W. wall has an odd closet (the only closet) with 2 doors that open out into the room. The S. wall has a door that opens into the room going into the kitchen(!) and right next to it is a radiator. The E. wall is basically two big single pane, double hung windows. The only wall large enough to put a bed (queen or king) on is the one with the windows. Our (king)bed is now in our living room!

Maybe a wider than the window very light Roman shade? Hang it a foot or more from the wall, and attach from the ceiling so air flow is unaffected. Leave it up for light, but lower it for aesthetics?.

LandsEnd.com still sells bottom sheets - right now on sale. Thrift shops have great old sheets. Bring them to a laundromat, sealed in the plastic bag you brought with you to transport them and wash in hottest water. Bedbug concern resolved - and old sheets are fabulous. Also - tell all your friends and relatives you are looking for old sheets - you'll be amazed!

LandsEnd.com still sells bottom sheets - right now on sale. Thrift shops have great old sheets. Bring them to a laundromat, sealed in the plastic bag you brought with you to transport them and wash in hottest water. Bedbug concern resolved - and old sheets are fabulous. Also - tell all your friends and relatives you are looking for old sheets - you'll be amazed!

I love my new mattress/box spring except I had to remove the bed frame from underneath it because it was too high off the floor for me to get in, get dressed at the side, touch the floor with my feet. So my bed sits on the floor which has that college/1st apartment look. I don't have room for a platform bed and can't find a low head board that tip since it can't be affixed to the absent bed frame or hollow wall at the head of the bed...

I am going to be put in a straight jacket soon. All I want is a Queen sized fuschia sheet set ( forget Target- sheets are rough and only fit beds 15" deep. I also need a solid fuschia Queen sized comforter ( I'm so desperate I'd settle for a duvet) . I have trolled the Internet for months and nothing! It's either crib bedding or PB teen and again PB teen is for teens who don't know quality bedding yet ( and have same only fits 15" bed and quilts or duvets are Full/Queen and not what I want. I have some really beautiful bedding, I love mixing patterns, but sometimes I want a solid colored base-like the fuschia sheets. I have been to every store on the Internet that sells bedding. I fear for my health. I don't want to have a nervous breakdown over fuschia bedding. Any suggestions? Suggestions should pertain only to bedding, not my fragile state of mind. Help! Barri S.

@Barri S
Check out "Domestications" online. They have a catalog you can request, and the biggest selection of bedding I've ever encountered at very reasonable prices.

Barri S. I'm with you: pastels don't work for everyone! Did your search include The Company Store? I get their catalog, and they seem to always have super bright color choices. I also find tons of stuff at the Marshall/TJs/Home Goods stores, and my brother bought saturated colors (deep navy and burgundy) at Bed Bath & Beyond (Were they made by Wamsutta?). For everyone looking for sheet separates, BB&B or Land's End are my sources for fitted only or extra pillowcases.

I have a 1937 home and we have a king bed. The wall is too short for 2 matching nightstands over 21 inches. Most nightstands that I have liked are around 27". Also CANNOT find a duvet cover I like that is affordable. They are either to Printy, too patterny, too feminine...or too plain. What happened to good design?????

There is another solution if you want to stop the bed from moving because one partner sleeps restlessly -- and it doesn't require giving up the ergonomic support a spring mattress offers: We have developed and patented an hourglass-shaped innerspring made from lightweight and extremely durable TPEE. Since the springs inside the mattress are connected with each other at the center, our mattress design completely eliminates motion-transfer. In case you are curious, here is more information: http://www.somniumbeds.com/benefits.php?g=nomotion

There is another solution if you want to stop the bed from moving because one partner sleeps restlessly -- and it doesn't require giving up the ergonomic support a spring mattress offers: We have developed and patented an hourglass-shaped innerspring made from lightweight and extremely durable TPEE. Since the springs inside the mattress are connected with each other at the center, our mattress design completely eliminates motion-transfer. In case you are curious, here is more information: http://www.somniumbeds.com/benefits.php?g=nomotion

Threeacres: Have you ever considered switching from a waterproof pad under the sheets to a mattress with a removable cover that can be washed in your washing machine at home? All of our mattresses have that feature -- the adult and the crib mattresses. It helps keep the bed pristine without giving you the uncomfortable feel of sleeping on a sheet of plastic that moves about and gets uncomfortable.
http://www.somniumbeds.com/mattress.php?g=covers

Maveness for the blackout curtain issue. Try the following if you haven't already.
Really cheap curtain rods that are made of white metal and that form a half rectangle to block the light coming out of the corners.

Black out shades for your eyes.

Dark colored comforter cover for a goose down comforter. A goose down comforter is so light weight you can put it over your head to block out the light so you can sleep.

Nattyjo.

Good quality down comforters are on sale now try Cuddledown, The Company store or Garnet Hill. Down comforters are supposed to be used with a comforter cover so that you wash the comforter cover every week with your bedding but the comforter itself only a few times a year.

Buy fitted sheets that are elasticized all the way around and wash them in hot water.

Remove the bench immediately.

Get a split frame for the mattress bottom. Check out Consumer Reports mattress buying tips.

I looked all around the place and couldn't find any sheets like that. All I found in France are sheets with elasticised corners.

For cats and other pets who like to sleep in bedroom.
Lint roller bedding.
Put a small cat bed on bed for cat to sleep on.
Put an inexpensive fleece blanket on bed for cat, easier to wash then entire duvet.
Put large cat carrier in bedroom outfitted with pillow, pillow case, fleece blanket and put cat in it to sleep at night. Soon will be jumping in there on his/her own. Bonus if you feed cat in here too. Plus your vet will love you no more struggling to put your pet in the pet carrier.

Brush and lint roller cat every night before bed.

Im so sorry but your post made me LOL!

My bedroom isnt big enough for my bed and desk but I work from home... bit of a problem.

For folks who don't like top sheets - turn it into a second fitted sheet!

I got fun containers for things on my dresser, I have a hatbox, vintage suitcase, and 5 teacups for the little things like bobbypins and change.

I use different color hangers for just washed clothes and clothes that have been worn but don't need to be washed yet.

My big issue was storing everyday things - I was more concerned because I kept losing them! My bathroom is shared among three girls so anything short of my toothbrush gets stored in our room. I had two big solutions: I keep my hair supplies on hooks attached to the inside of my closet (I got an "Over-the-door-vanity-station" as a gift, but I'm sure any hooks would do) - both of my hair brushes have a hole in the handle, so I just tied pieces of ribbon in them, and hang them on that. The two other hooks are used for hair ties and soft head bands, and I use the little shelves for hair clips and my makeup. It actually looks kind of pretty (at least for the college-chic vibe I have going, ha), but I like keeping it on the inside of my closet so it's a little secret for me.

The other thing that worked out nicely is that I had a plastic "honey comb" style drawer organizer in my top dresser drawer. I was originally using it for belts and tights, but had a number of extra compartments, so little things like deodorant and medication I use daily had their own space - it was easy to reach in and find, but even easier to hide away from everyone else. Other than that I keep my perfume on the counter, and my moisturizer in my bedside stand, which keeps most things out of sight but really easy to access.

You are correct there are many things which disturb in bedroom.Curtains also a small types of problem so try to use good quality blackout curtains.
For more information regarding blackout curtains visit:
http://www.blackoutcurtains.co.uk

My sliding doors on my closet are uneven, no outlets for a landline phone, keeping clutter off of my night stands...