We totally love our swing-arm lamps (they're more modern) -- we had them hardwired into the wall when we remodeled. If I'd known how much I'd love them (light on my book, tiltable), I would have just put some up before the remodel and used the cord cover. For me, I stay up reading after DH goes to bed, so they're completely perfect, in that I can dim them completely, move them closer or farther from the bed, and angle the light so it hits precisely on the book. And the space they make on the bedside table is just wonderful, as we tend to use our bedside tables for books. If you're not hardwiring them, just go ahead and put them up and see what you think. You can always take them down. The cord covers are paintable, too, so they'll pretty much disappear, and I've seen them used in higher-end designs, even, rather than hardwiring the fixtures in.

Camlan, yes I read in bed, as well as place a drink on the bedside table if I'm doing office work in bed. The table surface should be about 19.5"w x 18"d. If I go with Plan B, undercabinet lighting would probably be warm fluorescent as quite a bit of light is thrown out both to the sides and forward. A similar set-up was used in a bedroom for my son in my last home, and the reading light was fine. If I do Plan A, the wall cabinet height may need to be reduced to 30" to place the light at the right height. This is something I could live with. I guess my question is, do you think undercabinet lighting in a nice bedroom would shout "kitchen" as my designer seems to think? I do not wish to do both types of lighting as either one should serve my purpose so I do not see the need for both. And yes, lighting behind the valance is already planned, with the focus to be on a painting above the bed.

So much great feedback. Thank you. Let me start with the easier one first. Squirrel -- I am totally open to leaving the pheasant painting on the table. Let me see if it is secure enough. It would avoid the endless hassle I have in deciding, "gee is this the right height?" Others agree that we should just leave it as is? Lamps -- everyone commented on them. Yup, I know I need to buy new -- or go shopping elsewhere in the house. The room needs a bit of jewelry and I will come back to this when I get the floor arrangment down. Lazy gardens -- Let me experiment with a bench below the windows. I like it the idea, but I have to be sure that I can still open and close the windows easily. We live in a warm climate and these big windows are opened all the time. Les -- You propose a very good option for the windowless wall, one that makes a great deal of design sense, but would be a hard sell for my hubbie. We have talked about something like this and this is generally what he says: Take a look at the last pic -- that view (down the master bed corridor to the white door) would be the view when we wake up (or hung out in bed). Contrast that view with the view out of the NORTH wall. (Dear hubbie is very much of a view guy and our bed stares out to a huge gingko tree and a small crepe mrytle). Also, under the current room arrangement, there are bedside height electrical controls (to the overhead fan and lights) on the south wall (by HIS side of the bed). If we move the bed, we couldn't adjust the fan in the middle of the night without getting out of bed (or rewiring. . .) So I agree that that 15 foot long windowless wall makes the most sense for the bed, but . . . .I am not sure that this one will fly with him. That said, let me show him your suggestion. As always, you really make a lot of sense. Any other thoughts, you wise ones?

We just put swing arm lamps in our bedroom. I love reading in bed and was tired of fighting the lamp on my nightstand. I wish I'd had bronswynsmom 22 inches advice two weeks ago. It would have made placement much more efficient. What we did was...I sat on the bed propped up by pillows with book in hand. Dh held the light at varying heights until I was happy. Like bronswynsmom, I wanted the light, but I did NOT want to see the bulb from the corner of my eye. Because I really wanted reading light, we placed them just a couple of inches from the bed--not too far away or it would have been just like the lamp. I LOVE my swing arms...I got mine from Lamps Plus, too. One thing I really enjoy is the dimmer switch...it is great to have bright light for reading and soft light for other times. I can't believe I waited so long to buy them.