I'm in love with ceiling fans, and use them all the time. But I do not have central air or central heat, so I need to get the air moving.

I put in the two fans about four years ago when we started on the kitchen. Since then I've changed plans and even moved a wall, so the one fan isn't centered, but I'll live with that.

DH says if I want to move the fan, I need a new husband first . . .

Here is a pic of the two fans taken after the walls were done (the first time) - the patio door is gone now too. With the color, they blend in and aren't that noticable. I did not want them to be a focal point for the kitchen, but I do need them.

How old is your house? I think in an old house, ceiling fans are charming. They make me think of some movie like Fried Green Tomatoes (?) or something like that! The feel great when it's hot and clear the room of smoke. You can find some really decent ones online that don't feel too Home Depot - even some that feel more period-appropriate but again...only worthwhile if you're into the period look (sorry for making assumptions!). The two-pendant look and "anchoring" above islands is really pretty but certainly not unique anymore and I think having a couple of pendants around your perimeter (over sink and stove) would nicely compliment a fan over the island. I'm truly not knocking having pendants above islands (!) and would love that option (my kitchen's too small so my island would look silly since that way since it's smaller) but I'm just saying it's common enough now that you could dare to be different in such a beneficial way. :) IMO the hardest part would be finding a fan that makes just the right statement. Wow - I should lay off the coffee! Yeeeeee!

Everyone is trying to talk me out of a ceiling fan over my island. They don't think a ceiling fan is worthy enough for a new kitchen. I know it might not be elegant, but I am putting one in anyway. If I ever sell the house, I can take it out and put a chandelier for showing. There are some really awesome looking fans out there!

http://www.dansfancity.com/products/metro.htm

http://www.yalelightingconcepts.com/ceiling-fans.php

http://www.diynetwork.com/outdoors/12-amazing-outdoor-kitchens/pictures/page-12.html

http://fotosa.ru/ru/stock/search.asp?ID=2570560&anchor=2

Houseful - one thing can be said about ceiling fans: they're unpretentious! Finding a really nice one takes some searching but once it's found - and if paired with really nice other kitchen details that exhibit having taste (haha - relative as it all is), I think it could be really nice. What kills me is that there are so few examples of very stylish kitchens that use fans. While that seems to indicate fans are "not cool," anything's made cool by the right designers and room. If I weren't so in love with the semi-flush schoolhouse-esque light I found at Rejuvenation House Parts (to be in the center of my old kitchen, way up high), I'd be challenged by this big time even though I don't know squat about design! FYI, in my post above, my point at the time was only relevant if you have a period kitchen - I wasn't saying that a fan isn't worth buying if you don't have a period kitchen! Just wanted to clarify... The problem with the really nice ceiling fans is that the ones that in my opinion are the most stylish and high-quality looking cost quite a bit more in some cases (but not all). Ok I'll shut up now. I really should lay off the coffee!

Compared to a portable fan positioned in each doorway and one on the countertop, how much of an eyesore can a ceiling fan be? I belong to the "function before form" school for design and like fans. On the other hand, I also think that there is a physical intimidation factor if a looming fan is too close over a person, such as at a working peninsula or island in a low ceiling room. I would find a way to go sit on the front step when the fan was on. (Can the fan go somewhere else in the room?)

We're pretty "green" yet vetoed a center of ceiling fan because we were installing geothermal heat and cooling, thinking that with windows open on other days, that would suffice. But I really wish I now had a way to gently disperse condensation from winter windows in my climate and if I had pixie wand I would redo my center ceiling lighting to accommodate. In your climate, what is your reason for using the fan--dispersing humidity and heat from items/people below it? Or generally moving the air throughout the kitchen? Or being a substitute air conditioning unit, with the fan on high all the time? I'd decide that first before putting that fan overhead right where you work or read and eat.

I was recently at a fan shop that had a fabulous modern-look ceiling fan with a sculptural wood quality, plus a mod globe and matching pendants. Wish I'd seen it much sooner in my project. It takes some looking, but you can find suitable gems for your room. And be sure to read up about size and number of blades so you keep the scale right for the task and the room. People often buy overscale units.

An idea--can you wire for the fan just in case you need it later?

Theresse, I understood what you meant in your post. I was mostly refering to my best friend who was very vocal about how a ceiling fan would ruin my kitchen.

I only made it to the first website you listed, but I already found an awesome fan for my space. I just didn't see any prices listed. :(

We are in humid SC and we put in a ceiling fan without questioning it-- it makes a big difference in kitchens here and it's greener to avoid using our AC as long as possible, which ceiling fans really help. We got one from Minka Aire that has a very modern look, far from the builder's standard ceiling fans and not too expensive.

Ok...Thanks for your comments....I will now admit that the ceiling fan I already have is a leaded, stained glass, very fancy.

I am afraid it will look too busy over the granite

Our house is over 50 yrs old.

I do not like to run the air. I'd rather have windows open and a fan on when I am in the room.

I have a huge cheap industrial three blade ceiling fan in the high ceiling adjoining room. On high I think it could send my little dog flying so I do not use that setting often. This workes well for me as it reaches the kitchen where I wanted a big lantern pendant. The big cheapies are well under $100 and come in white but I got a brass look extender and painted the fan to look bronze and leather.

I love ceiling fans too - we have them all over the house (although not in the kitchen - it would send all of the dog hair flying into the food, I realize this is a total reflection of our inability to keep up with the hair! :)

We have gotten all of our fans from Modern Fan - they have several very clean, low profile models (esp the stainless steel look) which I think would work well in a kitchen (the Lapa would look particularly great IMO). I would lean toward a low profile fan in a kitchen as opposed to more of a statement piece - but everyone is different. I do not think these fans are overly modern, we live in a house from the 1920's and the fans still blend and look at home. Good luck!

After reading this thread I read the gray paint thread which had a link to an older gray thread which lead me to the photobucket album for lulu_hb. If you do a search on her photobucket album you should be able to see it on page 4 of her album.

She has a gorgeous kitchen with a ceiling fan that looks great in the kitchen.

I am not allowd to post it here since it is not my picture.

Thanks for that irishcreamgirl. I don't normally like lights on ceiling fans, but that one looks perfect with her kitchen.

I'm a big believer that if you need a ceiling fan, you need a ceiling fan. I do--my kitchen is the western-most room in the house with a south-facing sliding door and a west-facing window, and it gets hot enough in the summer that you just don't care about being fashionable over being comfortable. I'd rather have a chandelier kitchen, but it's a fan for me.