We were considering putting in a ceiling fan in our family room during our remodel (and even wired for it), but DH felt it would make the ceiling look too busy since it's only 8'. Anyway, in the process though I was working with a lighting designer and I must say there are some lovely fans out there that do make a decorator statement. If I had the height, I would've put one in hands down. You can custom select blades from any of a number of wood finishes plus several different finishes to coordinate with other hardware. Depending on your climate, a decorative fan can be a real asset for resale. Personally, I think the white ones look cheap and cheesy--like what you find in an apartment rental. Frankly, all of our decor and color schemes become dated--no matter what we choose. It's the industry that needs to have people keep buying new stuff--even though the old stuff is perfectly good. Take a look at Casablanca fans. Here is a link that might be useful: Casablanca

I agree with Patricia-the same as the walls in a matte finish for the ceiling.

I read elsewhere that if you paint the ceilings and walls the same color, the ceiling will look darker. I just painted my ceilings a bright flat white, and walls SW Snowbound, which has that slight beige undertone that Balboa Mist has. I don’t think you can go wrong, but see if you can get a sample to test a swatch on the walls as whites pick up surrounding colors and look different depending on furnishings and N,S,E, or W exposures.

I am not a designer, but I personally dislike seeing white white on ceilings when the walls are a different shade (of white or a color). Especially standard "ceiling white". It makes the ceiling stand out too much. For white walls, I would prefer to use the same white. On the other hand, though, I am a big fan of subtle color on the ceiling and have seen many combinations of color, or a shade of off white, on walls with a complimentary pale color on the ceiling that looks terrific while not drawing attention to the ceiling. Just IMO. What would please your eye, or go best with your decor, may vary.