When Holly and Dean Tangeman moved into their house in 2003, Holly painted the bedroom three times before finding a color she was happy with. The ordeal put her off all other decor-related decisions — including selecting lights. So the couple wore spelunkers’ headlamps to read in bed (really). “Lighting was a problem,” Holly admits, laughing. So was storage for the unread books stashed in a basket on the floor.

The first step: wall-mounted lighting (back to those caves, spelunkers’ lamps!) and side tables with bookshelves (to get the books off the floor). A cozy reading area (with a chair on wheels, so it can easily be rolled out of the way) was created by the terrace door — a favored spot of Holly’s for spending rainy afternoons with daughter Annie, 18 months. The black bed frame inspired a dramatic new black-and-white color scheme to punch up the bare yellow walls. A bold Hawaiian quilt hung tapestry-style from ceiling to floor replaced the pressed-leaf art over the bed. The new room has given the Tangemans a new outlook on leisure time. “We have a glass of wine after work, then sometimes go right upstairs to hang out, which we never would have done before,” says Holly.

Lighting

The wall-mounted lamps’ shades have diffusers to cut glare. When Dean is ready to sleep, Holly can flip hers to the low setting and read into the wee hours. Real Simple Collection Swing Arm Wall Lamps, $90 each, www.lampsplus.com.

Furniture

Since there are doors on both sides of the bed, the night tables had to be slim, yet each of these holds a dozen books. More perch on a bench. Tess Library Bedside Tables, $199 each, Pottery Barn, www.potterybarn.com. Modern Low Bench by Thomas O’Brien for Target, $100, www.target.com.

Bedding

The clean lines of white cotton trimmed in black ribbon complement the graphic hanging quilt — an out-of- the-box solution to the “big blank wall” issue. Crate & Barrel Chandler queen sheet set, $120; duvet cover, $95; and standard sham, $29: www.crateandbarrel.com. Needle Point Stitched Cotton Quilt in black, $208, Under the Hala, www.alohawebsite.com.

Rug

Covering the hardwood floor with a sisal rug (its black edging echoes the lines of the bed and linens) “finishes the room,” says Holly. Pottery Barn Bound Sisal Rug, $499 for 9 by 12 feet, www.potterybarn.com.

Reading Nook

An adjustable floor lamp shines down on a “really comfy” slipper chair — “Dean loves sitting there,” says Holly. Retro Metal Task Floor Lamp by Thomas O’Brien for Target, $60, www.target.com. Mitchell Gold “Gloria” chair with machine-washable slipcover, $800, www.mgandbw.com.