Oh, ceiling fans… It’s hard to be you. To be so needed, yet so visually despised at the same time. To have your cleaning be so often neglected. To watch the rest of a home be updated to perfection, while you sit by untouched.
No more, I say! It’s time to give these work-horses of the home the attention and updates they are due. Manufacturers have caught onto the fact that fans have not kept up with consumers’ love of beauty, and the ceiling fan game has really been upped in the last couple of years. I recently had to source several fans for the Valor Project, so I wanted to share some of my favorites:
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Home Depot: Hunter (the brand of this fan) is really leading the way in terms of visually pleasing ceiling fans. I love the bowl-shaped shade on this one.
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Home Depot: I love the sleek, modern design of this one.
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Wayfair: This is my GO-TO fan (if you can get away without needing a light kit). It’s technically an outdoor fan, but I love it’s simple design and that fact that it can really move air (I have this in my bedroom, and have installed it in clients’ as well).
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Home Depot: This is similar to number two, but if you prefer more blades (gives a more traditional look) this is a great option.
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Wayfair: The shape of the light kit on this one is sure to illuminate a bedroom well (as opposed to just spotlighting straight down).
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Bellacor: Alright, y’all may not feel me on this one, but hear me out: I love the shape, and that dusty green color is reading very “English Cottage” to me (in the very best way). I’m thinking of getting it for our boys’ playroom (and throwing down this buffalo check rug while I’m at it).
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Bellacor: Speaking of kid spaces, I think this is my favorite fan for the under-18 set. It’s playful yet stylish, and comes in several different colors (someone with a daughter PLEASE give her this pink one).
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Overstock: You know when fans age and start to get wobbly on their downrod? This one can’t do that, which gives it major points in my book.
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Bellacor: If a ceiling fan can be glamorous, then it’s this one. I love the sleek shape, and the brass + black combo is so pretty.
As for some general rules around fans:
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Measure, measure, measure. Ordering, unboxing, and installing ceiling fans is such a chore, so make sure you order the correct size and avoid doing it all twice. Generally, 44-inch blade spans work well for smaller bedrooms, and 52-inchers are good for master bedrooms and larger rooms.
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Choose low-profile when possible. One of the chief complaints around ceiling fans is that they can make a room feel smaller. Avoid this by choosing a flush or semi-flush installation mount, keeping the fan as close to the ceiling as possible. This helps the room retain its height, and (like I mentioned with option eight) these types of fans will typically give you fewer operational problems.
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When in doubt, choose silver, white, or black. I know I included some fun, colorful options in the round-up, but if you feel overwhelmed with choices, know that you really can’t go wrong with these neutral finishes.
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Avoid light kits whenever possible. The lights included in fans are almost never great. We have them in our boys’ bedrooms and the guest room, but always forgo the central light in favor of opened curtains + lamps. If it’s possible, install recessed cans + a ceiling fan without a light. This combo will give you a streamlined, functional set up in whatever room you’re designing.
Living in an area where fans are very real necessities (I love you, Texas), it makes me unreasonably happy to see this new day in ceiling fan design. What do you think? Are ceiling fans a non-negotiable for you, or are you able to get away without one? Any hot tips for keeping them clean? My favorite is wrapping a pillow case around the blade to pull off dust without making a mess atop your bed.
xo,
sarah
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