I would consider one or two colorful runners to take the eye away from the curtain, something Oriental or tribal that will take away from the overall gray and rather sterile situation you have right now. I'd also look for large and colorful prints for the walls to brighten this area. A short bookcase in front of the curtain might look a bit more appropriate than a table. Cute doggie, by the way!

Cute doggy!

Would add long runner area rug w/ color & pattern you like, and art on wall.

Lets see the entire apartment room, by room. ( the bedroom I guess ) I get the arduous study issue, but a decent nights sleep, AND the ability to have a welcoming space, seems important as well. You are sleeping in the hallway, curtain or no curtain : (

A drawing of the entire apartment with the windows would also be helpful.

Ingrid--I definitely think something colorful on the floor would help! It is very sterile. I have held off on getting stuff because I wasn't sure which way I wanted to go with it. I did try a big bookcase in front of the curtain but it made it seem way too closed off. Thank you for your suggestions!

deegw--I love the colorful rug that you placed in front of the door! Not sure about the bright curtain (I feel like it will close off the space even more or just seem like too much since it's floor to ceiling). But I do agree that it needs something.

mdln--Omg I can't!!! I showed my fiancé and best friend the painting you put on the wall!! It's too good! Thank you so much for your effort! That photo honestly made me smile so much!

Jan--It's definitely not ideal to have the 'bedroom' where it's at but it honestly has been working out WAY better to have the bed there than my study space. My law school friend always comes over to study so her desk is here too. She can't study with white noise or music...and with nothing playing, you can hear EVERYTHING going on in the hallway (outside of our apartment). Also, when my fiancé comes home from work (he works a 9-5), he obviously wants to make something to eat, watch TV, and just relax from his day at work but it was very distracting for my friend and I. And plus, he was having to worry about being quiet and I just didn't want that. Because there's no door, you can hear everything going on in the kitchen, living room, etc. With the office now in the 'bedroom,' we can close the door and hardly hear anything (even in the living room and kitchen).

The new 'bedroom' is super cozy and we can't hear anything in the hallway or even in the apartment because my fiancé and I are both heavy sleepers and we also play a rain/white noise machine at night to block anything out.

It has definitely given us more 'usable' space as well because the bedroom is a pretty decent size and since it's now an 'office,' friends and family come in and hang out sometimes and there is just more room in general than when the bed was in there. Here's the floor plan of our apartment. If you want specific pictures of other rooms (ones that show how it is NOW, then I definitely can do that--just let me know!!). Thank you for your willingness to help out Jan!

https://www.greenboxart.com/happy-dog-wall-art.html

Am a Chicagoan, with friends who went to law school at DePaul, Kent, Loyola, Northwestern, and U Chgo.

Looks like you have a nice set-up. Good luck!

You know what my sister calls these ? EPD's. Why ? because she has worn them to bed for two decades and now declares herself ear plug dependent. They cancel EVERYTHING.

Somewhere up the road, you may not get to pick the ( arduous ) work conditions. What if it's a corporate office in Manhattan, noise all around, all day long inside and out?

You know what you can stand, and what you are working so hard to accomplish. But for me? A bedroom needs to be the blissful reward at days end; PRIVATE..... a literal sanctuary. No, I couldn't sleep in a hallway, not even with a curtain, certainly not without a window, lamps..... the works. I'd feel like I was stuck overnight in an ER cubby. jmho : )

I'd get a few jars, ( gift the study partner ) give hubby a kiss and continue right on ................until bedtime in the bedroom. But that's me. Sayonara noise.

The apartment is a lot bigger than I thought. I understand a little better. It makes sense for you. It’s working.

However, I think this would have been a perfect wall bed situation. Take it down when you sleep, out of the way concealed when you’re up. No need for curtain if it’s only the two of you there.

Just my two cents. Not a pro.

Is your bed centered in the den? Then do put a console, or a shallow dresser, at the foot, in front of the curtain. A shallow dresser would give you additional storage, a console would look more open. Perhaps a lamp on top, the cord could run under the bed to the outlet on the wall. Pull the curtain to the middle, so that you can walk in on either side. Of. course you’d close it when you have company, but being in law school you know that all your friends have “been there”, too. My son is in a vintage studio in Rogers Park and there really isn’t a way to hid his bed, other than by pointing the sofa the other way.

A wide runner goes a long way (so to speak) toward warming it up.

And of course, you have some lovely art in the den/bedroom? Can you hang something lightweight from the curtain rod, maybe on both the front and the back?

Looking more closely, I see that the bed is against the closet wall. does it work, against the back wall?