Lighting is everything in a basement. And white walls in any shade almost never work. Definite color...and it doesn't have to be dark...is almost always better. Yellow rarely adds sunlight...it actually looks best in sunlight...but if it is reflective and clear, and the light is very bright, it can work. Luminous pale blues can give the sense of sky, particularly if you also paint the ceiling...which you should do in any case to keep it from sitting down on top of you. Very clear light is key...some of the new florescent corkscrew bulbs give a wonderfully bright light, and without the heat that halogen generates. I would add big mirrors to crack the wall open visually wherever you would have a window, if you had them. You can even hang drapery to the sides to increase that illusion if you like. Lamps that are reflected in them them will throw the light around.

Hmmmm, I'm going to look up the link to skylight covers in a sec. Interesting. But if Steph is thinking of making her own, it isn't that difficult, you know. The Home Depot sells 100 foot rolls of what is called SHADE CLOTH. I bought a roll of it intending to make roman shades from it, but DH opted to have plantation shutters installed here in Alabama like the ones I persuaded him to install up in Massachusetts. He really likes them. Now, I will probably use the shade cloth to make a cover outdoors for my shade loving hosta that I've gone nuts over. I have two roll up shades made of it on the totally Lexan walled sun porch, and it truly cuts the heat down, plus like Shelayne says you can see through it looking out. You don't want to put a shade on the INSIDE of your skylights Steph, because in AZ what you have is radiant heat, which will come in regardless of you stopping the LIGHT, if you don't stop it on the outside to keep the glass from heating up and transmitting/radiating the heat inward. If those purchased skylight covers can be bungeed into place, then you can see about making them yourself....or maybe ask your SISTER to sew them up for you? Are you handy with the sewing machine? Didn't we just chat about that sitting unused in most of our homes? Well, think about running a few flat hems easy as making a towel, threading the bungee through the hem, and get some young buck of an Arizona cowboy to climb up there on your roof and install it for you. Isn't your neighbor's boy big enough to help you do that? Think about it, Steph. You get the shade, and still have the light. It will make a difference.

I will have lots of natural light. Ceilings are only 8’ high, so I’m thinking really dark colors will make the rooms feel small. Most of my furniture is brown leather.

If there is anywhere to use recessed lighting it would be your kitchen. Also add under cabinet LED's. Once those are done, you may find the addition of 3 pendants here a bit of overkill. As for the ceiling fan, is it needed in warm weather? Fan lights rarely serve as room illumination except for getting in when its totally dark. They are completely inadequate for anything else. Looks like you're sampling some paint colors by the stairs. Don't go for the paint until the lighting is completed so you get true colors. If you key paint to current lighting you'll be disappointed with it when the upgraded lights go in. I think a pair of chandeliers for each of your dining areas will be a big help. Some uplights under plants flanking the TV could be a nice touch. You may want to consider unloading the mantel of its clutter and having sconces installed on that wall. The windows seem awfully low, so a "fool-the-eye" window treatment that uses shades and panels to visually extend the window onto the wall above it will be a big improvement to your overall look. Here's a chart to help with TV/sofa placement. and a chart for picking a rug, which you should consider to anchor the sofa and seating group.