Your salesperson is right. The only way to achieve the light levels you need to read is to use low voltage recessed fixtures. They should be mounted close to the wall over your bed,to provide the light from over your shoulder ,with your switch controlling the fixture on the other side of the bed. Then ,the recessed gimbal trim, or slot aperture, should direct the light over the shoulder of the person on the opposite side of the bed. By using a 50 watt SPOT MR16 lamp you'll have more light than you'll ever need, so maybe you should consider a magnetic low voltage dimmer as well. By the way ,we sell over 4000 low voltage housings a year in our stores and have maybe 2 or 3 defective transformers, which can easily be replaced.

Believe it or not, decent looking ceiling fans exist. On every design show I've ever seen they're the first things to be thrown out, but I have them in every bedroom. Mmm slight draft at night without the sound of floor fan... I pspent no fewer than 18 weeks looking (off and on) for a "pretty" one to go in my master. I have lived with a 4 poster bed. My experience - unless you have really high ceilings, and I'm talking like 10 ft, and a sizeable room, it will turn your space into... tiny. Once upon a time in a previous life I thought I had a big bedroom until I put a poster bed in there. I like your computer nook. I always wanted a space like that, which I could separate from the rest of the room with some romantic drapery tied back. I might force that idea on my formal dining room. :) beds/headboards coverin ga window do bother me. I don't like anything to cover a window (couch, table, or otherwise) -- but that's just me. And if it came down to a queen bed, or covering that window, sure - the window would get covered! We have single panels on our two bedroom windows, mostly because they're skinny and it looked silly to me to have two panels. If you need to cover the window, something that seems to help (at least when I've seen it done) is to pull the bed away from the wall a foot or so. Then you can go with two panels, and it looks kind of intentional instead of "didn't have space." Something else to keep in mind with blocking windows -- does the sun come directly in such that it would fade your bedding over time?

Can you nail or screw things to the walls? If yes, you could install moulding that holds plug-in LED lights (or under cabinet light strips) on the three surrounding walls about 3/4 of the way up the wall. Then plug them into a remote control outlet adapter for ease of use. It won't be direct, task lighting but will definitely brighten up the area.

I agree with Sister Sunnie about a 6 inch seat cushion, but I would also add more depth to the seat so you can sit with your back in the corner (with pillows) and extend your legs towards the camera. If you need to darken the window to sleep, add a simple shade instead of the curtain. I would add a reading light too.