I think it will look goofy if it's not centered over the bed. If that's not practical, forgo the fan.

I agree with branson4020, however I've never liked the "feel" of having a fan directly above the bed.

Any chance of having a floor model fan in the room instead?

Try a floor fan if you want useful.

16" Retro Pedestal Fan, Brushed Nickel · More Info

What are slim portions of the bed.

I have a ceiling fan that is between the foot of the bed and the wall (there is also a dresser on that wall - bed/fan/dresser). The top of the bed fits into a small alcove that has book shelves on each side. When you first walk into the room, you can not see the entire bed due to this. Perhaps I'm just use to it, but it doesn't seem misplaced at all, and it never has. The room is painted off white and the fan is also white and very clean lined (Modern Fan), so it is not a visual magnet, but it's clearly there. I also like it quite a bit, it runs every night winter and summer on low and is very useful. In the summer on high, it creates plenty of breeze.

can you post a picture showing the room/bed placement?

"What are slim portions of the bed?"

The bed is composed of thin, rectangular metal tubes.

• Headboard is to the left.

• Red circle marks the place a ceiling fan could be hung between the foot of the bed and the wall.

In two bedrooms of one home that I have that was built by the developer of the entire neighborhood, the ceiling fans are centered on the ceilings of each room. I don't know if the fans were put in originally or by a later owner before me. Someone who didn't want ceiling fans could use the wired box for an overhead light, which would be best centered in the room.

I like them. On a warmer evening, the moving air makes a higher indoor temperature more comfortable.

Odd bed frame, I haven't seen one like that before.

So you've got a 48" space there and the fan is 26"? So that leaves roughly 11" on each side of the fan vs. the wall and bed frame? For me, that might be a little much visually. I would be more inclined to opt for a floor fan, etc. or else place it directly over the bed.

If the point of the fan is to provide airflow over the bed, the proposed location combined with the smallness of the fan might not do the job as well as it would if place closer to the center of the bed. My ceiling fan is 42" and just over the foot board of my bed (centered on the ceiling), and at that location does an adequate job, but the breeze would be more strongly felt if actually over the bed.

Mine is centered on the ceiling and is mostly at the foot of the bed. Perfect for us. Given the style of your bed, I’d opt for a floor fan.

Your bed really limits what you can do with a ceiling fan. I prefer bedroom ceiling fans to be simple and white so they don’t stand out and just circulate air, but the placement is bad in your room.

So you're not familiar with an oscillating floor fan? They do an outstanding job, can be moved where needed if a hot summer requires their services somewhere else during the day.

I prefer a better AC system, designed to remove humidity.

A ceiling fan in my home is primarily decorative art unless AC breaks down.

If you live in a humid environment, a fan will do little to make you 'truly' comfortable.

Most people don't realize the reason they are uncomfortable has more to do with humidity in the home as opposed to only temperature.

Reduce humidity a mere 5%, you will feel that much more comfortable. Reduce it 10% and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

How to explain to someone this kind of feeling: Autumn is a perfect time of the year to experience this feeling outdoors. Once the humidity is cut, the air turns crisp... now imagine that indoors.

Nothing but butter!

When we bought our very old home, every bedroom had a light fixture dead center in the room, as so many pre WWII homes did. Not wanting to incur the expense of moving the boxes, we replaced the lights with ceiling fans in the center of the rooms, not centered on any of the beds. The fans are all white, to blend in with the ceiling. It's not a big problem at all, and provides air circulation both in winter with the heat on and summer with the A/C on. Fans are a great way to assist your HVAC system so that you can keep it on lower settings, thus saving energy, while keeping you comfortable in any season.

However, your fan looks to be rather small at 26"--all of mine are 42" or larger--for the size of your room. I'd look at one with a bigger diameter.

Thanks everybody for your comments and suggestions.

1. I've liked ceiling fans in other houses and hotels which is why that was my first choice. But I agree with commenters that the design of the bed frame really precludes that.
2. Beverly's recommendation of a wall fan might be the best solution. Unfortunately, lots of them seem to be noisy (e.g., because they're for industrial use), ugly, or have inconsistent user reviews that make it hard to choose something. Clearly manufacturers of residential, permanently-mounted fans concentrate their efforts on ceiling fans, not wall fans.
3. I do have whole-house AC but prefer a somewhat higher temperature with air movement over AC alone. (Frankly, my heat pump often removes too much humidity making the atmosphere unpleasant.) I also skip the AC and open the windows whenever possible.
4. I do have a floor fan (below) but was hoping for something quieter, to mount permanently, and to be less intrusive.

Lasko #T24954

"Ceiling fans are most useful in the center of the room because they draw up air to the ceiling which is then pushed back down to circulate the air in the room.

A smaller fan could be less noisy than a floor fan. If you have a wardrobe, setting a smaller fan atop the wardrobe could move enough air to help.

Lasko is a great brand for fans. In my experience, they last. With your ac running, you'll not be opening your windows but those box fans for windows can be used elsewhere and on the low setting, those I have are less noisy than even much smaller fans.

There are also clamp fans -- some noisier than others -- that might let you be more specific as to where you direct the breeze -- such as just above your face -- if your headboard or overhead bed frame (shown) or a heavy lamp on your bedside table has a place to clamp it.

Whatever you decide, if you're trying to breathe comfortably to sleep well, decor takes a back seat to that. That said, the difference between a portable fan as an addition to your room and a ceiling fan is that an off center ceiling fan -- a permanent electrical fixture requiring a pro to move/remove it -- could adversely affect the resale value of your home.

A $10 fan sitting on the dresser may not be pretty, but it works a couple of years before it dies.

Amazon should bundle $10 fans with $3 earplugs and $2 earwax remover.

Put a ceiling fan in the center of the ceiling, or don't put one in at all.