Page 56 - Lighting Magazine February 2018

The gReaT DiviDe
Several designers mentioned they would use a ceiling fan with a
darker, or Oil-Rubbed Bronze, nish to complement rustic décor. This fan is from Emerson.
bedrooms, but not in the family room.”
When it comes to creating a visual centerpiece in the home, most designers prefer decorative lighting xtures. One style that is hard to place ceiling fans in, according to the designers, is high- end traditional. “For many of my clients, they o en don’t jive with the look we are trying to achieve,” stated April Elizabeth Hewi . “I don’t love them, yet clients still want them. [Ceiling fans provide] functional lighting, but are so functional that they
are hard to make very a ractive.”
As designer Brooke Gardner explained, “I think
the answer is architectural appropriateness.” In the South and West, ceiling fans do not seem out of place. “In a plantation-style house, ceiling fans would totally be expected,” she added.
Interior designer Sco Tjaden boiled his opin- ion down to whether or not the ceiling fan was going to act as overhead lighting. “I never specify a fan as the only light source in a room,” he a rmed.
Jodie Orange, a lighting store owner who began her career as an interior designer before becoming a lighting specialist, said, “I can a ack this ques- tion from several angles. As an interior designer,
fans aren’t always the go-to choice for aesthetics. However, any good designer will assess the needs of the client rst and then design around that. This includes understanding the intended use of all spaces. If a ceiling fan is required, then it’s the designer’s job to provide one that is functional for the task and that is aesthetically pleasing for the space. Let’s face it, I don’t think toilets are a rac- tive either...but hey, when needed they’re handy! As a lighting specialist, I a ack the fan vs. no fan question from my clients as a designer rst. Is it necessary? Then the di erence between being able to prepare a lighting plan for a new construc- tion and being sure that there is proper general, task, and ambient lighting in the room is so I can then specify the necessary ceiling fan(s) for the space without having to worry about lighting from the fan. If we are relying on the light from the fan as the main light source in the room, then my con- versation and recommendations to my client will be very di erent.
“Bridging my elds together,” she continued, “I would say that I always try to suggest blending the fan out in the room with the ceiling color unless, of course, there’s a reason not to. For example, I have a co age with high ceilings that are all pine. I in- stalled a fan in an Oiled-Rubbed Bronze nish that accentuates the dark knots in the pine. It adds a cozy feel to the space when it’s turning, in addition to circulating the hot air lost in the high ceilings. This is important at my co age because water is extremely expensive and I heat the co age with wood-burning stoves and keep the temperature comfortable with the fans’ help. I believe there will always be a need for quality ceiling fans in our industry and a need for experts to help clients make the right choices.”
And so the debate continues. Interior design- ers, for the most part, will resist using ceiling fans in their work and lighting showroom personnel will continue to spotlight the bene ts to consumers. 
52 enLIGHTenment Magazine | FeBRUaRY 2018
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