We've had ceiling fans in 2 houses, one with 7'8" and another with 7'6". My husband is 6'4" and he has no problem with them hanging over his head. One was over a dining table, I have one over the island in my kitchen, and a small one is in my son's room. They all have hanging lights. I confess I don't care for the look of the lights on them, but we have no AC and they certainly help keep our rooms more comfortable in hot or muggy weather. Of course, S.Carolina gets a lot hotter than Maine.

Use this chart

All good suggestions. Thank you everyone. So we have had many discussions and have made some progress and now we are leaning towards the following. We are going to "cap" the ceiling at the triangle, just above the second beams. So we eliminate the high triangle, thus regulating the room temp better and allowing for lighting install. We will drop the fan lower, keep it centered, and add recessed lights on either side of the fan (front and back) on the flat/new ceiling. Add sconces above the mantle (wiring behind the new drywall). Rather than paint the brick and while we have scaffolding here anyway, we think we will box in the brick from new flat ceiling to the mantle (not with shiplap) and run trim down either side. We will then frame out a new mantle down each side and across the brick. We will keep the brick as is around the fireplace and on the hearth (I don't like the idea of floor to ceiling painted white brick and felt that since we use the fireplace we are better keeping natural brick so it won't show soot and dirt), but put a new piece of stone in for the hearth. Smooth the outdated plaster walls (since plasterer has to come for the new ceiling). Paint the ceiling, the trim and fireplace walls/mantle white, and the walls a soft gray (Edgecomb BM). Cap the track lighting unless we decide down the road we need it. I'd also love to consider refacing the brick with stone veneer but maybe not this time around. So yes, our budget is blown but it seems to be a situation of go all in or don't half spend. Trying to resemble something like this but not with shiplap and with our brick not whitewashed: Thoughts/feedback? Good news is that my contractor knows us and works slowly so I can modify as we go if something doesn't look right. I toyed with keeping beams but they really aren't nice beams. We've also done away with the wood beam mantle but I think if we keep the look more robust and less delicate that we might be okay -- more thick/shaker than formal crown. Also adding trim to the supporting beams that connect wall to ceiling to make them look more "finished" - they look like planks or 2x4s now and I never realized they were actually beams until we just put the window in and broke into the wall. They are just above the windows and you probably can't tell from the previous photos. Any thoughts - would love to hear them. You've really turned me around on the shiplap - thank you!

After more looking around, I am liking the idea of putting two chandeliers, one on each side of the ceiling fan. I had electrician come today, and now waiting to get his estimate. In the meanwhile, like to get opinion and hear from those who have done anything like this. See the picture of my current ceiling fan (which I am going to replace). The ceiling height is 13 feet 10 inches. The room size is 21 x 15 feet (the length of ceiling beam is 15 feet). If I decide to go with this option, I will choose a ceiling fan without lights, and hang it with 5 feet downrod. The two chandeliers will be hung lower than the fan, at a midpoint distance on each side of the fan. Will this look cluttered? (Three things hanging from 15 feet ceiling beam). What size chandeliers will look right? If I decide not to choose this option, I am going to look for a ceiling fan with brighter lights, and add floor lamps for additional lights. Thanks.