We have an 1980s contemporary home and would like to replace the track lighting (it’s ugly and starting to malfunction). Something other than track lighting would be cool, but I’d love to find a light setup that looks great without having to move the electrical box (we’re avid DIYers, and will install new lights, but not sure we’re up for the patchwork and relocating box 15 feet in the air). There’s also another track light over the staircase, which you see when you walk into the house.

Our style is MCM/contemporary-ish

We're in the process of redoing the staircase. The treads and risers will be the same hickory as the living room floor. Not sure yet about the half walls and oak handrail/wall topper things.

There's currently a Nerf dart and a rubber dinosaur stuck in the track of the light (two little boys), and ignore the box fort in the corner -- it's not staying. :) And wow, you can totally see the cobwebs in the photos, too. Time to dust.

From the top of the stairs looking down.

We'd talked about doing suspended track lighting, making an L shape. See picture below -- red lines are cables hanging from ceiling and black lines are the track. Obviously put it way too low, but the perspective is weird.

Now that I look more closely, an L might be weird? Should it be a rectangle?

Inspiration photos:

If we do suspended track lighting in the living room, what do we do in the hallway/over the stairs? It's the first thing you see when you enter the house, so something funky would be cool.