Firstly, the bed looks great. Very stylish and suits most colours. I initially had white walls then dark-teal and the style matched perfectly. Secondly, the bed is solid and stable. Make sure to tighten the bolts if your doing it yourself so it doesn't squeak here and there. Once you have, it's no noise. Thirdly, the Ottoman works perfectly and provides sheltered space under your bed. It does take away space as a whole with the box like sheath, but only slightly towards the bed head and corners. You can build this bed alone but only if you're at ease with lifting and tightening screws at the same time. It's quite a heavy bed once made, so pick your spot well in advance. I purchased a rather thick mattress which does cover up a lot of the fabric headboard. So if you want to avoid that, by a mattress that isn't 30cm+.