its hard for me to believe that i am writing a blog on fans and i am a designer....if you ever watch those design shows on tv this is the first thing they eliminate in the rooms!! but i know that we live in SC and since august has been unbearable, a fan really is needed in a home. with that said, there are some stipulations!
i was in columbia this weekend and the restaurant we ate in looked as if it use to be an old factory. it had great exposed brick walls and wooden beams crossing the ceiling and hanging from these old beams were really "cool" fans. retro fans are the way to go...you can find them in restoration hardware or at specialty lighting stores. they add an element to the design of your room without screaming "i am a white ceiling fan from 1980 when this house was built". i am not saying that you have to use these in every room in your house b/c i know they can be expensive...but it would be cool in your family room, kitchen, or sunroom as an accent. and i can even say that your friendly lowes has an industrial stainless steel fan for around $70 that can work for all budgets.