Upgrade Your Home with a Beautiful New Ceiling Fan
Today’s modern ceiling fan designs can bring grace and style to any home decor. If you’re looking for an easy home upgrade that will improve your living space aesthetically and practically, you can’t go wrong with a ceiling fan. The right ceiling fan can even be a focal point or a conversation piece.
When it comes to choosing a ceiling fan for your space, you need to consider not only the look of the fan, but also its power and features. The right fan will tie your home decor together, and give you the functionality you need – light fixtures, air circulation, and even smart features.
Here’s what you need to consider when you’re thinking about buying a ceiling fan.
Choose a Fan Design You Like
There are so many different fan designs available, you’ll be sure to get one that will match your own decor. If your home has a coastal vibe, there are tons of palm leaf ceiling fans to choose from.
Got a more minimalist or uncluttered style interiors in mind? Choose from among the many sleek, modern ceiling fans with just two or three blades.
Go the other way and choose a fan with eight or nine blades to complete your steampunk look. You can get dual ceiling fans, ceiling fans with chandeliers hanging from them, fans with delicate crystal globes and industrial-style cage fans.
Do your leg work – there are so many fan designs to choose from, so you want to make sure you shop around.
Consider the Space Where You’ll Hang the Fan
There will be limits on what kind of fan you can get, based on the limitations of the space where you’re hanging it.
Are you putting it in a room with a low ceiling, or hanging it in a bedroom over the bed? You probably want a flush-mount ceiling fan instead of one with a long downrod.
Are you putting it in a room with a slanted or vaulted ceiling? You’ll need a long downrod to lower the fan until it’s clear of the slanted ceiling.
Are there very high ceilings in the room where you’ll be hanging the fan? You’ll need an extra long downrod. Will the fan be hanging outside? You need a fan rated for wet conditions.
Which size of ceiling fan is right?
The size of the room will dictate what size fan you should get. For example:
For rooms 75 square feet or smaller, use a fan no bigger than 36 inches across;
For rooms 76 to 144 square feet, use a fan 36 to 42 inches across;
For rooms 145 to 224 square feet, use a fan 50 to 54 inches across; and
For rooms bigger than 225 square feet, use a fan 60 inches or larger.
Ceiling fan sizes are measured across the sweep, or the circle created by the blades when they’re in motion. You can measure the sweep of a fan with an even number of blades by measuring from one blade tip to the corresponding blade tip, right across the middle of the fan.
For fans with an odd number of blades, measure from one blade tip to the middle of the fan motor assembly.
Get Your Favorite Fan Features
Of course, you’ll need more than air circulation from a fan. You’ll probably want a ceiling fan with a light fixture built in, and you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.
Basic features on a ceiling fan include a motor reversal switch, multiple fan speeds, and pull chain controls for both the fan and the lights.
Motor power is rated according to the number of cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air a fan can move – get a fan rated for at least 4,000 CFM, but go higher if you can afford it and especially if you need a more powerful fan.
These days, you can get a smart fan and control it from your phone. You can also get fans with remotes, and wireless wall-mount controls. These features are especially useful in high-ceilinged rooms, where reaching for an overhead pull chain might be awkward or impossible.
A remote control is also handy if you want to operate your fan while in bed.
Features to look for in a fan
If you’re hanging a fan in a kitchen or bathroom, make sure it’s rated for damp use, and if you’re hanging it outside – even under a covered porch – it should be rated for wet use. If you live near the sea, you may even want to splurge on a marine-rated ceiling fan for your outdoor space, as these can better withstand the corrosive effects of the salt air.
If you’re looking for a home upgrade that will really be worth it, a ceiling fan is what you want. Stay cool and comfortable when you put in a stylish, fun new ceiling fan.
