How to Choose a Ceiling Fan (A Simple Guide)
A ceiling fan is a common decorative household item that can also serve as a practical air-circulation fixture. Fans are better for the environment—not to mention your utility bill—than air conditioners because these ceiling fixtures use less energy. In addition, the ideal ceiling fan will help you enhance your room’s appearance by complementing the dominant decor while keeping the area cool during the summer.
To pick the perfect model for your space, we’ll cover some important factors to consider.
How to Choose a Ceiling Fan for a Room
Ceiling fans can be successfully installed in a number of places in the home—and even outside. But it’s important to take into account the characteristics of the area where the fan will be operating.
Living Rooms
In these areas, you should consider the aesthetic aspects of the fan, especially if your room has a unique personality, as well as the overall size of the space.
The more spacious your living room, the bigger (or more powerful) the ceiling fan needs to be to keep the air properly circulating and cool. For larger rooms (maybe 300 square feet or more), you may wish to use two fans, spaced equidistantly to maximize coverage. When placing these fans, be sure to consider the spots where people will be lounging. Fans should be directly over, or near, where residents and guests customarily sit. Arranmore fans, in particular, are designed to “push” air downward, which can create a very relaxing breeze for those in the immediate vicinity.
Fans with remote controls provide an additional level of convenience by enabling loungers to adjust the settings without needing to get out of their seat. Arranmore fans include a remote that not only permits the easy adjustment of blade speed but also allows users to dim the light bulbs.
Rooms with low ceilings can benefit from a flush mount fan that "hugs" the ceiling. These types of fans have no downrod and leave plenty of space underneath.
Bedrooms
To buy a ceiling fan for your bedroom, you first need to consider the room's overall size. If your master bedroom is large, you need a fan with enough power to keep it cool during the night. However, you also need a fan that doesn’t make too much noise while operating. A noisy fan can disturb your sleep just as much as heat.
Luckily, at Arranmore Lighting, we have powerful ceiling fans with nearly silent motors, allowing you to rest comfortably without the distractions of excessive noise or heat. The fan blades do produce an air-movement noise, which increases at higher speeds, but this is a continuous, restful sound. It also serves to mask the incidental noises that can be heard during the night.
While your master bedroom may not be a part of the home that many people visit, you may still prefer to have a stylish ceiling fan that matches and enhances the bedroom’s interior design. It’s up to you.
Outdoors
The idea of outdoor fans may sound strange, but in fact they are a popular option among homeowners who have a backyard patio or similar lounging area. Fans can help disperse smoke generated by BBQ grills and supply a fresh breeze on hot summer nights. But fans intended for use in these areas must be adequately weather-proof.
Standard wood fan blades can become warped or damaged when exposed to rain or other sources of moisture. However, Arranmore fans come with Lexan™ thermoplastic blades that are especially designed to withstand outdoor environments.
How to Choose a Ceiling Fan Color
When choosing a ceiling fan, consider the color of the model you have your eye on and whether it matches your interior design. For example, a brass or galvanized fan tends to work well in rooms with an “old-fashioned” atmosphere. Black fans are good in spots where a black-and-white decor predominates; many kitchens fit this description.
If a masculine vibe is what you’re looking for, charred iron or brushed nickel is a suitable choice. For more feminine spaces, pink is a perennial favorite—and soft pink is a calming color that even many men can appreciate. Many homeowners opt for white fans, as these can effectively complement just about any kind of room.
Already know the right color for you? Browse our fans by color and find what best suits your home
The 60/30/10 Rule
One way to determine a good color scheme of your room, and the right fan for it, is to use the 60/30/10 rule. Here’s how it works.
Sixty percent of your room should be one primary color. Generally, this color should be used for the walls, and possibly large pieces of furniture as well.
The other 30 percent should be a complementary color, used mostly on curtains, rugs, chairs, and other spots that can provide contrast to the dominant color.
You can consult a standard color wheel for guidance. To find your complementary color, select a color that is on the opposite side of your dominant color. For instance, if your primary color is green or blue-green, you should select red or purple as your complementary color. This strategy will give you a balance of “warm” and “cool” colors.
Lastly, the final 10 percent is your accent color, used for small decorations and fixtures, such as your ceiling fan. You have a lot of leeway in choosing an accent color, but it should be different from your primary and complementary colors.
This certainly isn’t the only way to design your room. A similar strategy is to choose three colors that are grouped together on the color wheel. In this scheme, the color in the middle will be your dominant color, while your 30% and 10% colors will be selected from the ones bordering it on each side. Again, your fan should have your 10% accent color.
Find the Right Ceiling Fan for Your Home with Arranmore Lighting
Are you wondering where to buy ceiling fans? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! At Arranmore Lighting, we have a wide selection of fan models available. All our products are made of the best-quality materials and offer a high level of functionality and durability.
If you want to buy a ceiling fan that has style and will serve you well for years, check out our full product catalog!
