Hi mtnrdredux, I do not have advice on lighting, at least none that would be news to you! I would like something reachable while lying and with three high, med and low settings, and with bulbs that would be easy on the eyes.

Now, let me just say that you have done an incredible job in creating a cozy and beautiful space. Sooo much character!

Oops! Sorry I was multitasking, watching the news and looking at your post. I thought that was your completed room. Oh well, with your talent...just go ahead and take the complement for the future :)

aww, thanks Jterri.

I would have a small clip on lamp...on a shelf or railing or wherever you can clip it for reading....and another small fixture for dressing and to snap on while you are getting ready to crawl into the cozy nook.
As for elimintate dampness and mildew....if you are really serious....you need to have a dehumidifier.....not necessarily set on "bone dry" but something to keep air moving and to dry it out....or else the space will become unuseable.

I would want some kind of direct lighting over the pillow area for reading that a person could turn off and on without leaving the bed, maybe, two slim pendants, hard to say without seeing the actual area.
But, indirect lighting, bookcase, etc. is fine for overall, but not reading.

hmm, a clip on, I had not thought of that.

You cannot dress in the loft, at least i wouldn't recommend it.

Really? In a building that has never been damp and is totally above ground, you think I will need a dehumidifier? I am used to thinking of them for basements only.

What about a pair of adjustable sconces on either side of the window that would allow you to move them toward the reading area or push them out of the way?

Lascatx, the problem is, where to mount the sconces when the bookcases are there.

Bumble, good point that you dont want to have to get out of bed to turn the light on and off.

I don't think pendants will work. Keep in mind the height from the bed to the peak is only 5'.

I was thinking of one of these over the window. But Id need a version w more wattage. And maybe more flexibility. Or maybe, for direct light, just keep a flashlight up there!!

{{gwi:1852796}}

PS Lindac, you comment worried me, and then I got to thinking, how different is it than closing a cottage for the summer?

Put a little more frame around your window and mount them on the sides of the frame -- either facing the room or facing into the window, depending on where you want enough wall to run the wiring and have a mount.

You could run undercounter lights under the shelves, but that won't give you much control over the lighting for reading and it could fall a little short of what you want.

This is for two girls, right? You can always add a string of Christmas lights running back and forth and around -- just for fun and a touch more light.

A couple of lanterns that sit on the bookshelves but can be moved to the reading area -- but they would probably be battery operated. Not sure if they would be used too much to make that practical or if you could get rechargable batteries or solar powered lanterns with enough light to read by.

Hmm, the window frame ... I hadn't thought of beefing it up to hold the lights.

Oh, the Christmas lights are a great idea! I like the lanterns too.

I love the idea of lantern like lighting. As for humidity, Your little cottage will be much tighter now and possibly hold the humidity.

I would definitely do something rustic, something goose neck so it can be directed up for ambient lighting or down for reading. I'd want to have a switch within reach of the bed, esp if it's for children (of any age) who may scare themselves at night and want a quick light on in the place....then maybe use fluorescent bulbs just so the housing doesn't get too hot to handle....

The ones linked below come in a multitude of colors....

Here is a link that might be useful: Goose neck lamps

I think I'd have a combination--a fixed light somewhere to provide overall ambient lighting, and that could be turned on from downstairs, plus some clip-on lamps on the bookcases that could be moved around to suit individual readers.

The problem is going to be finding a clip-on lamp that is rustic or girly enough--most of them are fairly office-like.

Pottery Barn Teen does have a gooseneck clip-on lamp, but the colors might not work. I've put a link to some others below.

I have two small lamps in two of my bookcases--it was the only way to get some direct light into two reading areas. And one of the bookcases has a few little clip-on lamps as well. I have the small lamps on shelves that don't hold a lot of books, but that have some non-flammable decorative objects on them.

Here is a link that might be useful: some clip-on lamps

Something accordion, but metal would be current looking.

Love the reading loft. Will anyone be sleeping up there at bedtime or is it just a quiet hideaway?
If it will be used for sleeping make sure there is an easy on light for going up and down the ladder in the dark.
My kids like to read in their hideaway with headlamps. You may want a basket of those. I have one too, and mine is very girlie and pink. In addition, I would do clip on lights, that clip to the bookcase, and can be moved over to clip on the ladder railing if needed. Have you thought about attaching a fold out table to the ladder railing for playing cards or board games?
Please be cognizant of heat created by the lights. Make sure any cute string lights you purchase are not a fire hazard.
A dehumidifier might be a good idea. Not sure where you are located geographical and what the climate is like. You may be able to get my on fans and assuring good air circulation. The loft should definitely have a mounted fan, because lofts get hot. Dampout actually does wonders and you can put it in a pretty jar on the bookshelf.

Oh dear...my bad...those goose necks I posted are NOT the flexible ones I imagined.

I'd be concerned about clip ons getting knocked off and hot lamps hitting bedding.....

Maybe something like this one?

Or the real goose neck types are very modern, but so minimal that they might work too...esp the LED ones...

Ok, this is going to sound like a joke, but it is not. In regards to easy on and off of the lights there is always The Clapper. We have one in our home and the kids love it. It also works well.

The fixture in the main space would provide plenty of light for going up and down the ladder. It just needs to be put on a 3-way with one switch up and one down. I would go with that and keep it simple. It ia a small space.

LED bulbs would be good. Halogens and incandescent can get too hot to want them where you might bump them.

Do you have any pictures of the actual space?

I've not read all the responses, so forgive me if this is redundant. We have a guest room with a sleeping loft that is accessed by a ladder. The ladder has a locking mechanism and is removable, so that the grandchildren cannot access the area while they are in the toddler phase. Didn't want anyone in a Superman costume to experiment with human flight by launching himself over the rail and attempting to catch the lighted ceiling fan in the main section of the room, IYKWIM. Anyway, the peak of the loft is tall enough for an adult to stand in, maybe 7.5', but the edges are not. We had the electricians add a light switch on the wall under the ladder, so that the light in the loft could be controlled from below, in case someone forgot to turn it off before coming down the ladder. In our case, the bathroom and a closet are under the loft, so there is a wall near the ladder. There is also a wall switch in the loft, near the ladder, so that if someone sleeps up there, (s)she can use the switch up there. (We also have a closet up there, but, ahem, right now it is filled with bolts of fabric for future reupholstery projects.)
I'd like lantern type sconces in your loft, but I'm not sure how that would coordinate with the lighting you are planning for the area down below (or whether coordination is necessary, for that matter).

If you want to avoid the hassle of an electrician, you could attach a light fixture to vintage shutters(flat panel style), using one on either side of the window.You would first have to add an extension cord to the fixture to adjust it's use as a plug-in style. The cord would be behind the shutter, and if you have an outlet in the general area, would allow you to plug in both lights. The shutter could be hung using two larger eye screws in the top edge. They would project from the wall slightly, but I can't see that as a problem.

I've done this in my DR using double flat panel shutters on each side of an arched window, but at the moment have candle sconces rather that light fixtures. My 'winter project' will be to hunt down vintage fixtures to complement the existing chandelier. Not as easy as you might think. ;o)

mtnrd, I was going to suggest a wall lamp almost identical to the one you posted! I have one over my kitchen sink (there was no light there at all...), and I love it. It must be the same manufacturer.

As you may be able to tell, it adjusts both at the place where it attaches to the wall plat, and at the top of the shade, with little ball joints, so that you can control both the height and the angle. I apologize for my lousy photography.

Re: dehumidifier

I suspect it was your mention of mildew prevention that prompted the suggestion. If it has never been damp, then you probably don't need to worry about mildew.

Love the idea of LED lighting. You would ever need to change the bulb and they do stay cool which is a definite plus. Maybe a battery operated lantern would be good. They make so many cute ones these days.

Bronwynsmom,
I actually went to look on Circa, and I like one very much like yours, in brass. Thx.

PattyCakes, Oh we are using an electrician; there is no power to the stonehouse at all yet!

Kitchen, I agree that we need 3-way switches in the places you suggest. The stonehouse has exposed stone and lots of wood, but we are painting the wood pink and using lots of gilt, so it is a funny juxtaposition.

Chris, it's raining today and the space is busy with workmen, too. Maybe tomorrow I can get a good shot. But it's raw space ... we are just thinking it thru in anticipation of the electician coming later this week.

Lascatx, I wanted better light for the loft proper. In fact I am not sure if I ma going to have a chandy or if we will need a fan for functional reasons. I hate fixtures that combine them.

Kitchen, I bet my kids would love that. But as long as the electrician is there ...

Annie, Bumble, to mod and too masculine.

Eandhl, Yes but people close up summer houses full of upholstery all the time, no?

Camlan,
DH has nixed any kind of lighting they can easily knock over or off and have come in contact with pillows, bedding. He wants one wall mounted light up over the window. Anything else should be battery operated. Plus he says, I am romanticizing just how much reading and how much giggling and gossiping and nonsense will occur.

Local, the kids may opt to sleep there when they are still young, but I don't see an adult there. Thanks for the DampOut tip.

Summer houses closed up, full of upholstery etc....very often get damp smelling. You say "stone cottage"....and "tile floor"....and mention that you have sealed it up..in the sense that it is now tight and not drafty.
We have a saying in my family that talks about a "sea shore pillow" and that dampish not quite musty smell...
Friends I know who have a vacation cottage, don't shut off the heat completely. One family did the first year they owned it, and the second year they made sure to drive the 5 hours to check at least once every 4 or 5 weeks to turn on the heat and check the mouse traps.

Stone house, cold walls, any moisture will condense on the walls. In the past, any moisture drifted out....but when you make a house tight....you also trap any moisture.
For example, The house I now live in, had no insulation in the walls when we bought it..the walls were fairly cold and moisture from people breathing, cooking, laundry etc condensed on the walls and windows. I imagine if the house had been tight and not heated it would have been a problem.
A dehumidifier costs about $150....set it on low and then put it away in the summer if you don't need it. But it seems like cheap insurance to keep things sweet smelling!
Linda C

We have a lake house, but it's year round, and we never shut the heat off but a lot of people at the lake do.I will have to sniff next time!

Seeing as how it is 100 paces from the pool, I think we just need to monitor it at first. DH says we should have a weekly date night there. My kids think we should do story night there.

I'm not sure what the obstacles are. Is there going to be drywall or anything like panelling on the walls? Or will they be like the picture? I assume the ceiling will be open like the picture?
If your only option is to mount on the trim of the windows I would maybe do the light you posted but with a glass shade to maximize the light.
If you have anything on the walls, I would do step lights.

And one of my first thoughts was also strings of Christmas lights!

I thought of these.

Chris - I'm blanking, what are step lights?
The walls are exposed stone, the ceiling is painted shiplap. The similarities with the photo are: the approx width of the loft platform, the open gable ceiling, the window, ladder railing, and the bookcases. The differences are the finish, the length and height of the area, and the size of the window. I think I can mount above the window.
Obstacles are headroom, utility for reading and climbing up the ladder, and fire hazard.

Marcolo.
SO cute. Are they pottery barn?

I remembered you mentioning a chandelier -- I see you said "might have" one. It would be a good idea to have something on a 3-way. It could be an outlet that you can plug a table or floor lamp into if you go the fan route.

What a charmed life you are crafting! Absolutely date nights and story nights!!

I may be crazy, but what if you swagged a mini chandelier or pendant to hang from the dormer? I'd think if you did it towards the head of the bed, you wouldnt have issues with head hitting.. but I can't picture how steep the slant is. You could also swag it off center and towards the rail if that wouldn't upset all your sensibilities! I know many couldnt deal with that but I love the whimsy of something unexpected-- or even "just not done!".

I checked out aidan gray, horchow and layla grayce and while aidan gray didnt have anything in the right scale, I saw a few designs I loved at the other two. The key is the right design and the right scale.

Step lights are used on boats, but they need to be recessed so I don't think they'll work here.

However, when I hear story time and girls I think whimsical. I don't know the name of this style of lighting but I have this globe chandy that's also for sale on One Kings Lane and it could look cute in a setting like yours.

I can just hear it now....when the kids lose Mom and Dad...."Oh, they are having a "date" in the stone house".

Couldn't resist :).

Pink wood accents? You mean, like pink-pink? I have a whole different vision of this little stone cottage in my head now.
So it will be for children now and not just a guest house?

I just saw the latest post on Aesthetic Oiseau and thought of your space (see link). I agree with her note about painting them.
I wonder if other companies make clip ons with more style/design to them?

Here is a link that might be useful: Aesthetic Oiseau

I see the bookcase lighted and some sort of light like this only shorter or modified on the wall (this is a DIY) so you could reach it while on the bed or whatever.

I like the idea of doing wall lights above the window, like Visual Comfort's Boston Functional light or Anette library light. They come out far enough that it gets light out away from just the bookcase wall, and over the place you would lay and read. And it is not a chandelier that you are going to crack your head on with only 5 feet of clearance. You could put a dimmer switch in the bookcase with easy access from the bed. How wide is the window?

I agree with the light head cracking problem. If you were to do some sort of wall mount it would be best to maybe do it near the trim just outside of or on the line above railing at a convenient height for reading. You could do it on both ends (with a swing arm).

At the risk of being screamed at by the parents here, I have always questioned the sense of taking something so classic, and cutie-pieing it up for children. It seems like a big fat missed opportunity. How are they to absorb the basics of line, proportion, and architectural suitability unless they are in it....?

Re my earlier post, bronwynsmom. I was thinking the same thing but didn't want to hurt the OP feelings. I would keep it more "classic" also.

Mntnredredux, every inspiration picture you've shown is very streamlined and classic - the lake resort is wonderful indeed! So the "haute girly" idea is escaping me.

I hope you will stick with the simplicity and bare-bones functionality of the things that furnish your inspirations.

Old-fashioned Hudson Bay style or Native American patterned blankets, pillows covered in ticking stripes, and possibly a sheepskin or two...natural materials, and sturdy, time-tested designs. No lights inside bookcases, or plastics unless they make practical sense (like drinking cups and the like...).

Hi Schoolhouse and Bronwyn,

I appreciate (and totally get) your opinion. And you haven't hurt my feelings! I always tell my kids, make sure only take offense if you can tell the other person wants you to.

Anyway, since you brought it up, here's why this cottage, at least in this iteration, will not be what you describe, which I would call Maison du Lac or "lakehouse-y".

1, Been there, done that. Our lakehouse has all of that vernacular. Pendleton loves me. It is totally de rigeur in that setting, and I enjoyed doing it, but I don't want to do it again. I can't find an interior shot on this mac but here she is:

2. I don't view myself as cutie-pieing it, more like feminizing it a bit. I could cutie pie it up with purple shutters and pink awnings and a ice cream parlor set and a wooden dutch door with stencils. Or make it a Little Mermaid house or somesuch. I never even did that when they were infants. My first daughter's crib featured b/w gingham with apple green. My children's rooms and bathrooms are sophisticated enough for an adult. BTW --- I don't judge people who want their kids to have a Cars the Movie Bed, because I know they could judge me as harshly for not letting my kids "express themselves". I would disagree, and say they are very welcome to express themselves, but tastefully. Anyway, my point is I don't cutie-pie anything --- at least no intentionally!

3. Form, and finishes, follow function. My girls are likely to be the primary users for now. I also have a few friends and relatives who think it would be so romantic to stay when they visit. And I would like to turn it into a pondside bar when we entertain outdoors, to get people to come down to the water instead of just look at the views from the patio. Someday, I can see making it my office. Or maybe my own Petit Trianon!
In any event, this won't be a boys fishin' lodge or poker room. It's for us girls, and it is a bit of a folly we would not try elsewhere.

4. My inspiration pictures (avert your eyes if you are tired of seeing these) are actually girly. The picture at the top of this post was just the best shot I found showing the layout I want. The style, as I have said, is fab, but not what we want here.

My inspiration pictures are the little cottage in the link (note the loft sans railing, where the chandelier must hit your belly button) and, this pic, which I posted about before, when i posted about how to "copy a look"

Of course, my room will look totally different, for goodness sakes, because it has stone walls! But I think everything looks good with stone or brick. It will surely be unexpected, but i think it might look very nice in a quirky off beat way.

Or, it will be awful. In which case it is a matter of few pillows and repainting the ceiling.

So there you go .... more than anyone ever wanted to knpw!

Here is a link that might be useful: One of my inspirations

Ok, gotcha'. And guess what? The cottage in your link? I have had that picture saved in my files for a long time! - I know someone posted it on here or in the Small Homes forum, maybe it was you? Anyway, it's quite an inspiration that's for sure.
Follow your heart.

Yes, I have posted that cottage here before but it was in the NYT and posted many places. I think the decor owes a huge debt to Rachel Ashwell, but this woman's design of the cottage itself is so charming. In the NYTimes piece they also had such a beautiful shot of her making her way to the cottage across the stepping stones in the stream. Of course it doesn't hurt that she is so lovely!

Always, you give thoughtful attention and great responses...I didn't expect cutie-pie from you - mostly I was reacting to some of the other ideas on the thread - and I completely understand the potential for overdosing on the Pendleton thing!

I remember that inspiration room now - and I think your version of girly is wonderfully sophisticated without any of that rotating-the-index-finger-in-the-dimples-on-the cheek thing. Oop-oop-ba-doo, don't-cha know. And not too much unironed cotton ruffling, either. I think you'll get the Rachel Ashewell dose just right.

Have at it! I think it will be great.

I love the tiny house blog! On the way to youngest son's school was the most charming brick house--- it had all of the elegance of a Georgian mansion but on a scale that was small and perfect, not just scaled down but simplified so that it looked right. I doubt if it was 1000 square feet. I oohed and aahed over it every time we passed. I am not sure I could live in it but I coveted it anyway.

Your stone cottage decor of "haute girly" doesn't speak to me of Disney princesses or bedazzled surfaces, but of rustic stone, worn gilt, crystal chandeliers, spare but good furnishings, and the warm glow that comes from pale pink. We used to have lampshades lined with pink because they made everyone look beautiful :-)

Beefier moldings on the window with an adjustable, mounted lamp for reading would be my choice for reading. A chandelier would be fun, but if you have one in the other part of the room it might be too much. It doesn't seem that you are looking for the wealth of excess but the wealth of good editing. Even if you don't find something right away, the Christmas lights as a good temporary measure. You can plug them into a timer.

Thanks, ladies. I ordered the Boston library lamp from Circa.

Oh and BronwynsMom, you are in such trouble! : )
I looked up the old thread about How to Copy a Look, and when I said I needed to find a way to add some pink like in the "inspiration room", it was your idea to paint the ceilings pink! And you voted in favor of a gilt mirror.

But anyway, I need your fabulous color sense, Bronwyn. I went to get a light pink to test it, and found out that in the very very light colors like that, they cannot mix anything less than a gallon (?). So I got a gallon of Pink Bliss. A bit too soon to tell definitively, but my sense is that it is too cold and maybe too pale. But def cold, KWIM?

I was attracted to the color because at the other end of the strip it was sort of a dusty pink, which I thought was a good direction because of the rustic stone. But --- and I don't really know what I'm talking about --- I think it has too much blue and that is why it is cold?

At $42 a try, I don't want to try 16 colors like I did to get Porch Ceiling Blue!

Thanks in advance!

Or maybe my own Petit Trianon!

I can't wait to see the pictures of you as a shepherdess!