We have recessed cans in our vaulted ceiling, but it also has a skylight, which I like very much, but of course that does not help at night.

I like the can lights in combination with table lamps. The only time when I don't care for can lights is when the cans are placed above the blades of a ceiling fan as you then get a seizure-inducing strobe effect when both the lights and the fan is on.

I think can lights work ok, but prefer the eyeball spots so you can direct the light away from the eyes of people sitting in the room. I really dislike looking directly at the light in a recessed can when it's on an angle. It might not be quite as much of a problem with a lower vault but on a steep pitch, it can be really irritating to be seated so they glare right into your eyes. If you're just going to use them for when you need to see to clean or something, then it wouldn't matter.

For more mood lighting, I'd probably do a chandelier to supplement lamps.

there are chandeliers that can be installed on vaulted ceilings. not a lot of them; I'd say the opposite is true.. but they do exist.

in the new home, previous owners made (or maybe bought the house like that? but I doubt it) skylight in the vaulted ceiling. plus they had tube lights hidden in the back of that ledge..not a fan of the ledge but i must say that the idea of hiding lights there was brilliant, and we did the same. you can't see them..you just get this soft light coming from nowhere. we did play a bit with bulbs before deciding what to put there

we have a torchiere in that space too-for reading etc

laughable,
My 2 cents on painting the ceiling planks or not: if this is your more informal family room area, I would not paint. The plain wood is beautiful and seems to be and atmosphere of grab a good book and blanket to stay awhile. Plus the vaulting pulls the brown wood further away, allowing for a richer color.

I have mini pendants in my bedroom with a vaulted ceiling.

Our ceiling will vault to 18' with 10' walls in the living and dining greatroom areas. Our architect said can lights are a no-no in the vault (will use elsewhere). The beams will sit on the top of walls. We will use different layers of lighting, a chandelier in the dining room, fan with light in living, lama (table and floor), a few art light etc, but the one unusual thing we are considering is LED strip lighting mounted in a channel on the top of the beams washing the ceiling. I've not been able to find many examples of this though. Any thoughts?

Thank you all for the great insights! You've given me lots to think about.

We have large open concept living are with a vaulted ceiling and are installing two globe pendants over the island, a chandelier over the dining table, cove lighting than runs around the perimeter of the room (LED tape lights in a channel) and 5 spot lights in the kitchen behind one beam and over the island/kitchen work space for task lighting.

Mojomom, I found a few pics of beam-mounted lighting when looking for uplighting examples for Laughable. Like this one:

Thanks, cawamps very helpful. Looks like it is a good ambiant choice, but not overall lighting. That's about what I was thinking but the pic is nice to conform. Would love to see the room with the lights on at night.

laughable, it sounds like you are on the right tract, think of lighting as layers, amibiant, indirect and task. (But I am no ID, I know what works for me , but may be using wrong terms.).