Ceiling Fans Cool the Air in Style

(ARA) - Want to stir things up around the house this summer? Add a ceiling fan. It's true stirring up the air will make you feel immediately cooler. But ceiling fans do more than just bring about breezes. Designed with the latest home decor trends in mind, these overhead fans move in fashionable circles.

"Fans today are design pieces as well as functional appliances," says Patrick Wilson, vice president, sales and marketing for Minka Aire, a ceiling fan manufacturer based in Corona, Calif.

John Pearson agrees. "Customers are interested in using fans as design elements," says the vice president for marketing for Casablanca Fan Company, a Pomona, Calif.-based fan manufacturer.

High-tech, contemporary designs have become popular in the last few years. As a result, brushed nickel, steel, and sleek pewter finishes get thumbs-up approval from trendsetters. Earth tones like rustic copper and bronze are also hot-sellers. Ditto painted finishes and washes. "People are more inquisitive than ever about ceiling fan possibilities," says Troy Lee, general merchandising manager for Progressive Lighting, Inc., a retailer in Kennesaw, Ga. "People want something attractive on their ceiling and they are concerned about matching the fan's design to their decor."

Ceiling fans work well in any home, thanks to a variety of design options. Ornate filigree blade holders offer a graceful, turn-of-the-century ambience. Brushed steel housing and light-colored maple blades offer the ultimate in contemporary styling. Classic polished brass finishes work well in more traditional homes.