As much as I’d like a gorgeous chandelier in our bedroom and a bold light fixture in the living room, there is no way we could give up our fans. Since I love the challenge of mixing function and style, I was determined to find a more modern ceiling fan for our bedroom that actually looked as good as it felt on a hot Oklahoma day. Frankly, it’s shocking how many UGLY fans still exist in stores. Between the truly horrendous ones, and the ones that add a nice breeze but no style, I found a few gems and didn’t want to keep them all to myself! Of course, I’m sure some of you will find these UGLY too, either because you aren’t somewhere fans are an essential, or because they are too modern for your taste. Hopefully you’ll still enjoy seeing some fun new options!
I couldn’t be happier with the one we used in the bedroom. It’s the Minka Aire Light Wave and feels so fresh compared to our old one. I decided my goal for the fan in this room was something that didn’t steal attention from other other features, but that looked great once you noticed it. We were pretty worried about the small light, but it’s actually brighter than our old traditional fan, which had 3 bulbs. The light is even dimmable with the included remote. It puts out an amazing amount of air as well. All for under $300! And I’m going on and on out of pure love, the fan was NOT a sponsored part of the room, so there’s no obligation for my car salesman-like talk about it.
If we had a beach house or library, I’d be using this next one for sure. It’s the same shape as mine, but without a light and in a ridiculously gorgeous wood finish. It’s half fan, half work of art!
For a more industrial look, I found a metal fan from Westinghouse that is insanely-inexpensive and has great reviews. It does say it should be installed a minimum of 10 feet from the floor, so it’s limited to rooms with higher ceilings. And the wall controller is the ugliest thing ever, but many reviewers mention alternatives. Even with those caveats, the great price and clean lines convinced me to include it on the list.
If someone told me they were buying a black ceiling fan last week, I would have been skeptical. Then I found this black beauty from Fanimation. It’s so sleek and sexy! This one could work in a dark moody room or as a dramatic feature in a more bright glam space.
The Uchiwa by Minka Aire is a little pricier than the others on the list, but I think it would easily be worth the splurge because it would become a focal point in any room. It was my second choice for the bedroom, but in the end I had enough focal points happening and I needed something streamlined instead. I’m thinking this one might make an appearance in our living room at some point in the future. I love the unique shape!
Minka Aire Uchiwa (also available in Chrome)
If you’re looking for something modern, but less funky, the Casa Aleso from Lamps Plus would be a great choice. It’s got more traditional blades that the Light Wave, but would have the same affect of not drawing attention, but looking great when it is noticed. 
If you share my obsession with Art Deco, this next ceiling fan may be for you! The Fanimation Jennix does a great job nodding to vintage styling. The blades have such a unique shape!
I’m realizing that Minka Aire seems to be the leader in innovate fan design. The Spectra inches into splurge territory for me, but isn’t totally outrageous for a 60″ fan. It comes in four different colors and would be great in a family room or game room. It’s pretty narrow top to bottom, so might even work in a cool basement!
One big tip when you are looking for fans or lighting is to check out LOTS of different stores. I found the propellor inspired Fanimation Prop on Lowe’s website and it is an exclusive product to them. Sometimes I assume Amazon has EVERYTHING and forget to check out some of the most obvious places. Or I do the opposite and think I’m limited to what I can find in Lowe’s.
I’m still a bit jealous of those of you who don’t need a ceiling fan, but at the same time, I’ve got new excitement brewing over the possibilities these fans are offering. We still have 5 fans in the house with glass shades. You know, the ones that look like this:
Ahh. I can’t wait to get rid of them for something with more personality! What do you think? Would you go for one of the options I found? If so, I’d love you to pin the image below as a reminder!
Dorothy says
Thanks. This is great information as we come into summer.
Melissa George says
Thank you, Dorothy! We’re so grateful we have them to keep us comfortable in the summer. Even the ones that aren’t good-looking yet 🙂
Stephanie @ Casa Watkins Living says
Super awesome! I am soo eager to replace the fans we currently have. My husband picked them out before I moved in and they are atrocious! Love the modern fans you picked out!!
Melissa George says
LOL – it’s hard to find them that aren’t atrocious!
Maggie @ Maggie Overby Studios says
I’m right there with you, after replacing the master bedroom fan during the ORC the rest of the fans are looking pretty shabby. My poor son has one with pink flowers on the blades in his room. He is a little upset the new fan wasn’t for him.
Melissa George says
Poor guy! It’s shocking how fast replacing one sends you into a tizzy ready to replace them all!
Giselle says
I love all of the ones you chose! I has no idea they could be so nice! I may have to change out the fixture in my bedroom for one!
Michelle Wilson says
I live in Texas and fans are a must here also. I’ve looked for years but the only good looking ones I found were WAAAY expensive. Since I’m on the other end of the Modern spectrum, I don’t like any of those you pictured, even though I do appreciate their beauty. Wish I could find less expensive fans with lights that would enhance/go with cottage/shabby chic/traditional/etc. Thanks for sharing for those who share your taste.
Rana says
I love the fans you have shown and didn’t realize there were other options. I suddenly have a need to change all our fans.
Melissa George says
Yeah! I’m so glad these were new to you and that you love them! I can totally relate to the sudden need to swap out all of them now that you’ve seen the new options. 🙂
Corinna - ADesignerAtHome says
That’s it. I MUST get that wooden fan. It’s gorgeous and so necessary here in VA, too!
Melissa George says
Yeah! So glad you found one that you LOVE! I expected that one to be even more expensive too.
Rachael @ This is our Bliss says
Perfect choice for your gorgeous space!
Brittany says
What is the blush paint color you used in this room? I love it & have been searching for just this color!
Melissa George says
Hi Brittany, It’s Sherwin-Williams Verbena. Definitely test it out on multiple walls in your space and wait to see it in the sun and at night. It changes quite a bit in different lighting. Every once in awhile it reads too baby pink, but most of the time it’s a really great blush. There’s pictures of it compared to a few other pinks I tried in this post: http://www.polishedhabitat.com/2016/orc-week-2/
Ashley says
Hello 🙂
The room is beautifully balanced. Where did you get the wall art with the black frame, I’m so in love?!
Melissa George says
Thank you, Ashley! I got it from Minted and they did the framing as well – it’s the 30×40 size and I picked the white border and signature options on the print. Here’s the direct link: http://rstyle.me/n/cfc64db5wxf (it’s an affilate link so if you happen to buy, it’s the same price, but I get a small commission). That piece was actually the inspiration for the whole room – a little soft, yet a bit moody at the same time.There’s more photos of the room in this post as well: http://www.polishedhabitat.com/2016/glam-master-bedroom/
Ashley says
Thanks Melissa!!
Melanie says
Where did you get your bed frame?! I’ve been searching for that exact one!
Melissa George says
Overstock! I spent literally like 20-30 hours trying to find the perfect bed like this so I know your struggle. We LOVE it! Here’s a direct (affiliate) link to the exact one: http://rstyle.me/n/cpczasb5wxf