What to do with alcove space next to bed?!

[goodwinter]

So we bought our first house a few months ago, it's a late Victorian mid-terrace.

The bedroom has a kind of uneven alcove, where it goes fully up to the ceiling on one side, but it's kind of doorframe-shaped the other side (have attached a picture from the sale listing).

So, we have our bed so that the headboard is against the middle of the wall, underneath where that dog canvas is. To the left is a chest of drawers pushed back against the wall. To the right... I don't know what to do! I originally had a bedside table pushed back, but I had to bring it level with the headboard (I need the bedside table within reaching distance), so now I have nothing in the right-hand side of the alcove and a big gap behind where my bedside table is. Does that make sense?!

Anyway, wondering how to fill the gap behind the bedside table. I've thought about a big plant to fill the whole space, or maybe building in some shelves that only come about halfway down (I think it would look odd to have a bedside table in front of shelves if they carried on to the floor, iyswim). I'm not overly happy with either of those options... any other ideas?

What’s on the opposite wall OP? Could you put the head of the bed against that with bedside tables and then make use of the alcoves for storage, built in or otherwise? That’s how ours is set up.

Please accept my crappy paint diagram of a birds eye view (the alcove is deeper than how it's drawn in the floorplan)...

I think is probably put a couple of shelves at the top and cupboard doors underneath. As long as its only the beside table in front then access shouldn't be too much of a problem?

The opposite wall is the only one that's not got a door, an alcove or a window on it, so it's being used for our "wardrobe" which is actually one of those telescopic clothes rails with multiple tiers, and that's the only wall it'll fit on!

@imsorryiasked that did occur to me actually, something like this? My only reservation would be, would it look odd to have a bedside table sat in front of the cupboard doors?

Is there room to have bed along door wall? If so, you could then have a built in wardrobe and shelving in the two alcoves.

I'd build in cupboards that came up 1/3 high then shelves above and use the top of the cupboard as my bedside table.

@flissfloss65 Good call, we haven't tried putting the bed on that wall but there might be enough space! Thanks. Can't believe I didn't think of that..

Like this

Put your bed on the other wall and build in wardrobes. We have this exact layout and looks great

@HollyBollyBooBoo I could build in cupboards but would still need a separate bedside table level with the bed (which might look odd?) because I want to be able to reach my lamp, phone and glass of water from bed! The alcove is deceptively deep and if something is along that back wall, it's impossible to reach without getting out of bed.

@Nomorerainplease Interesting... where are your built-in wardrobes? Along the alcove wall or somewhere else?

Does the double bed headboard actually fit in between the two alcoves? It looks like it would be a little small?

I agree with flissfloss

Yes each alcove is now a built in wardrobe. Of course they project slightly into the room but it’s fine.
Bed on opposite wall (not door wall)

I'd turn the alcoves into two built in wardrobes, use the wall in between for a mirror/tv and have the bed against to opposite wall.

@flissfloss65 ok I've just gone and moved the bed to the door wall! It just about fits with space for a bedside table either side (although one would come right up to the doorway, which is probably fine?).

Do you need both bedside tables? Wall mounted lamps, storage headboard, that sort of thing might be better use of space.

Hopefully the pix will appear.

Build in wardrobes either side of fireplace wall. Chest of drawers in middle. Mirror over the top or if you're a sloven like me, a TV!

@7Days Good point... possibly not!

@Noloudnoises Thank you! I like the idea of building the wardrobes "out" slightly to give them more depth, although I'm not sure we'd get all the storage that we currently have with the clothes rail thingy... No TV in our bedroom, but only because we watch Netflix in bed on our laptop instead!