Nice and steady going still Kyle, great job!
The corner being lighter than the walls around it is actually normal, since it gets light from the whole 90 degrees, whereas the walls face one direction. it probably has to do with the placement of the lights in your room. Did you try rendering it with just the AO on and no lights? Either way, in a corner like that AO won't actually make it visibly darker, since it is out in the open, it will be more evident under the bed, behind desks, etc.
The basket is a harder shape to model indeed, dwsel I think pointed out the basic way that is easiest to model it (maybe I would make a ring with more divisions and move them around instead of beveling, since I dont like the bevel in anim8or, but thats personal haha) To get the subtle distortions in the basket you will have to do them by hand.. it will just be a bit time-consuming. Yet I think the clothes in it will be harder to look natural than modeling the basket IMO.
Good going and great youre still giving updates on this!
PS. the corner-board between the wall and the ceiling (sorry I dont know the English name) seems a bit offset?