Planning a 12v lighting system for a small cabin

Hello everyone!
I'm planning a small off-grid cabin about 250sqft. I currently have a solar setup and I want to run 10-15 l.e.d. lights. I want to keep the lights dc, if I run ac and my inverter fails I have no lights. I would like to be able to turn each one on individually when I want to conserve as much energy as possible.

1.) Would using fuses or circuit breakers be better?

I'm not sure if I would be able to use circuit breakers or which would be most efficient. Perhaps a fuse block similar to cars, boats, rv's , etc...

2.) Does anyone know of a good off-grid 12v wiring book?

You could go with automotive wiring and cigarette-lighter outlets and plugs. Or, like I did, simply use AC wiring and designate one plate as positive and the other as negative. The problem with that is if a visitor thinks this is an ordinary AC outlet and plugs an AC appliance into it! Fortunately at the one cabin I had wired this way the biggest item that got fried was a cheap CD player!
Most solar design info recommends a fuse between the batteries and the rest of the system, whether or not an inverter is in use. You want the fuse somewhat larger in triggering amperage than the combination of your largest loads, such that it will only blow in the event of a short circuit. A charge controller, preferably of the MPPT type, is a good addition to even a relatively small system, as is a "battery life-saver" according to many.