Are you just moving in or have you lived there a while and want a new look?

Are you replacing all the ceiling lighting or just two spotlights?

Is this a basement family room? For reading, hobbies or watching tv?

David Warfel, a lighting designer, has several stories on houzz, all excellent and well illustrated. You could start with the ideas in this one:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/how-to-light-your-living-room-stsetivw-vs~104556291

apple_pie_order Thank you for the link....Room is lowest level in a Split level ranch (overhang from second floor limits natural light)...reading, watching tv...lived here a LONG time....want better lighting and thought I would start at the top and work down (down is too daunting!)

1- Since you have been there a long time, you probably have good lamps you like and ceiling lighting that works well. You can easily try just replacing the light bulbs with one step brighter and less yellow, that is, change the 60-watt equivalent to 75-watt equivalent, but use "bright white" instead of "warm white" or "soft white" (2700K). The "bright white" bulbs (3000-3500K) will look more like natural light. Also pick up some "daylight" bulbs to see if you like those better, since it's a matter of personal preference and the age of your eyes. Typical 60-watt-equivalent bulbs put out 800 lumens while the 75-watt-equivalents put out 1100 lumens. That's enough of a change to be dramatic. You can also pick up a pack of 100-watt equivalent bulbs (1500 lumens) just in case you are not getting enough of a change in brightness. The 75 watt-equivalent bulbs are stocked by big box stores and online.

Give changing bulbs a try before replacing the light fixtures or lamps.

2- Something I learned from a Houzz commenter about why houses get darker slowly: When you have lived in a place for years, trees and shrubs can overgrow and shadow the windows. Walk around outside and look at the shrubs and tree branches near the house. Look out from the windows and see if anything is blocking the light. Pretend you are selling the house: you'd want the shrubs and trees to look beautifully trimmed and the house to look light and bright inside. In a split level house, the lowest level's windows can be nearly at ground level, so it's important to keep foundation shrubs pruned.

Please post more photos of the room (all four walls, showing ceiling fixures, too).

apple_pie_order I would post more but the family room is a mess....we are painting upstairs and the family room is the "catch all" for now.... why in the heck is buying light bulbs so difficult? (by the way your ideas are absolutely BRILLIANT!)

Painting makes a mess for sure. Just change some bulbs and see how you like the change.

Why not look at some linear LED lights in 4000K whickh BTW mimic bright daylight which would be my choice

Replacing the spotlights with recessed lights would require removing the electrical boxes (aka j-boxes) in the ceiling. Detaching those from the ceiling joists can be difficult (I've done it) and risks damaging the ceiling. You can replace the spotlights with flush-mount lights that attach to the j-boxes and whose shallow depth simulate recessed lights. Example: Juno Slimform 7 in. White Integrated LED Flush Mount.