Why don’t you just wire for a center fixture and decide later? I have a love hate relationship with them. I think if you have other light sources in a room and get a fan with no lights, they are less awful. They do help to circulate the air well, but so does a dyson fan. We aren’t putting them in our reno but don’t have high hats in the kids rooms, and we wired for a center fixture in the master but I can’t commit to a fixture yet until I live in the space for a while.

I have one with no lights I think they look better that way.

I've lived my entire life without ceiling fans, so...

Love my fans. Have five, incl one in the master bath (which helps dry the shower, and the occasional hang-dry shirts hung on the shower enclosure).

I hate ceiling fans. First thing I do whenever I move into a house is remove them all. Hasn't affected my life (or resale) yet.

^ and on the flip side, in both homes I’ve bought the first thing I did was put ceiling fans in. Including in my current home where there was no overhead wiring so it wasn’t a simple, inexpensive process.

Ceiling fans with large blades move large volume of air at low velocities (well, if you don't run them at full speed). That's why they are generally more comfortable and less intrusive than other types (Dyson included).

Whether or not they’re “necessary “ or not depends upon things apart from others’ opinions. Climate, ventilation, one’s tolerance for heat or ....etc. I have them in my Palm Springs area home in all bedrooms .... they make the rooms feel much cooler without lowering the thermostat. I also have one in my master bedroom at the beach, occasionally turn it on low for air movement. A good quality fan can be attractive & unobtrusive. I prefer them without lighting. Mine are a simple design in white to blend in with the ceiling.

I love my dyson and the one that has the air fliter is really great I like the fact I can move it where I want it too.

I feel like they are necessary. We use ours year round. If you have high ceilings, they really help circulate the heat in the winter.

I hate the look (light or no light) and recently moved into a home with a ceiling fan in every room. Priority one was to remove them but man they have helped in this humid summer (which I'm not accustomed to). Now I feel like we need to keep them...ugh. However, if it weren't for humidity they'd be out the door! My daughter's room doesn't have a ceiling fan and we have a floor fan in there that just looks like a sloppy afterthought compared to my son's room. So, all that to say, I guess it depends on your climate.

Ceiling fans are a necessity here where I live, in the summer time, I would never remove them, and they would be replaced quickly if one decided to break down. I think it probably has a lot to do with your climate. Here in Ky, it gets hot, and a lot of humidity and they are very helpful.

Did not realize how much I would like and use my ceiling fans until I had them put in.

Keep your fans! get sleek flush style to hug the ceilings...so many beautiful options.

Ceiling fans aren't a decorating choice, they're there for function. Their beauty is how much comfort they provide, who cares what they look like. We have a second home with celing fans that were put in when constructed. They're great and a useful supplement with or without air conditioning running.

I agree with others that the ones with a built in light are tacky.

Not much help to you, but here in Arizona they are a necessity. They significantly reduce our dependence on air conditioning. No fancy blades or integrated light fixtures. Just simple, functional fans in a very hot climate.

We have a home with lots of split levels, so a ceiling fan at a balcony keeps the temperature regulation possible (by mixing upstairs and downstairs air). Otherwise, have never wanted one anywhere but at the beach or in the tropics.

Yes, the 5-bladed kind with the tulip lights from the big box stores are functional, but UGLY. I have a Minka-Aire like mdln posted above; there are plenty of nice looking ones if you are willing to pay a bit more. Even sleek one-bladed ones:

Minka-Aire Wing Ceiling Fan - White · More Info

When spinning, they all look alike. I'm not sure what paying 3X more accomplishes.

My thinking is that if you’re asking, fans aren’t necessary for your situation. I’ve lived in DC and now inland SoCal and fans have and are currently a must.

I have always used ceiling fans - everyday for 20 plus years - love them! Way easier than floor fans... There are so many interesting fans on the market today that you can really do a nice statement piece and still have the beauty of the air moving...

These are all great twists on the usual fan!

I'd say go for it! Especially since you have no control over the heat...

BTW how high are your ceilings??

Debbi, a fan is a fan, it's a recognizable thing that does a recognizable function. There's no reason to turn it into a gaudy, too-busy looking piece of I don't know what. Yikes, maybe it's just me but I don't find any of those fixtures you've posted photos of to be attractive at all. The opposite.

We live in Southern CA and have ceiling fans just in the bedrooms. We never run our ac at night since the fans keeps things so comfortable (and so quiet!).

I live in the Midwest where the summers are hot and humid. Our second story bedrooms get very hot and the ceiling fans help a ton.

I live in Texas and have had a ceiling fan in my bedroom most of my life. I can't sleep with out it unless it's cold enough. I think they're awful in kitchens and dining rooms, tho.

As has been suggested, put in a center fixture point that is structured to support a fan. Use it for a fixture or just with a plate for a little while, so you have a future option.

I had a co-op in NYC before moving to Canada, and because I hate air conditioning, I installed ceiling fans throughout the apartment. Loved them so much we recently installed them in our new build. Getting white ceiling fans to blend into the white ceilings goes a long way toward minimizing them. And no lights on ceiling fans, ever.

Fans can also be useful in the winter too, to help distribute the heat better.

If you are even considering a ceiling fan, make sure you use the appropriate box -- one strong enough to hold the weight of a fan.

In houston, ceiling fans are a must.

We have 10 ceiling fans turning here at Paisano's Roost in Southern New Mexico. A/C going out was minimized by having all the ceiling fans on.

Ceiling fans are self-storing. You don't have to find a place to stash them out of season.

Ceiling fans don't take up floor space and end up in the way.

And they are much easier to clean.