The Ugly Ceiling Fan: A Decorating Challenge

It seems like most apartments and houses come with at least one: the tragically ugly ceiling fan. While the air circulation and overhead lighting can be nice, ceiling fans rarely win style points. The large, loud ceiling fans installed in many kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms can pose a decorating challenge. But don't spin your little head into hopelessness yet! There are ways to tackle this decorating challenge without replacing or removing the ugly ceiling fan.

Break out new bulbs. Often, part of the problem with ceiling fans is the obnoxious brightness of the light fixture. Depending on the style, three or more bubs can combine to produce blinding incandesence. Few people use overhead ceiling fans as their sole source of light these days, preferring uplights and other less harsh glows. But you can modify ceiling fan bulbs to produce softer ambience as well. Try different sizes and frostings of bulbs, erring on the side of low wattage so that the total brightness does not exceed 60 watts. Or try colored bulbs. When mixed with the "white" light from other sources, colored bulbs in a ceiling fan (often marketed as "party bulbs" by retailers), can cheaply alter the entire mood of a room. Blue, yellow, red, green, purple, or pink bulbs may be employed to make your ugly ceiling fan work for you by reducing the glare and tinting the space.

Switch the glass shades and globes. Perhaps the most unsightly part of your ugly ceiling fan is/are the shades that surround the actual bulb fixture? If your ugly ceiling fan's shades feature dainty floral scenes on frosted glass, it's time to bid them farewell. Replacement glass shades can range from simple to funky and dirt-cheap to pricey, depending on your taste. Look for them at lighting stores, thrift shops, or even a glassblower's gallery. Remember that your new glass shades don't have to match, either: a ceiling fan with variegated colors may work nicely.

Cover yo' brass. I have a strong personal bias against brass in all its forms, especially when it's coupled the with the unfortunate wood laminate of many ceiling fan blades. If your ceiling fan's main decorating challenge is brassy hardware, consider disassembling the fan, carefully spraypainting the brass pieces, and then reassembling. By using black, white, silver, or even a funky color that matches your décor, you can bid that golden trashy brass goodbye.

Blend the blades. Are your ugly ceiling fan blades tainted with those curlycue details…the swirling kind that some 1983 designer added for a nursing home effect? Or perhaps the fake wooden blades bear the faux-Asian inlaid bamboo look? Much like the brass on a ceiling fan, these problems can be covered with a coat of paint. Simply unscrew the blades and spraypaint them so they either blend into the ceiling's color (probably white) or complement the room's furnishings.

Ditch the dangler. Most often, the long dangly chains used to control the ceiling fan are a visual liability. They tend to draw more attention to an ugly ceiling fan, bringing eyes upward to meet the beast. If possible, consider removing them entirely and using a wall switch to control the power instead. If that isn't feasible, then go in the other direction: find something kitschy and create a new chain that stands out. Large, well-chosen nuggets from a bead store, strung on fishing line. may do the trick.

Whatever the problem posed by your ugly ceiling fan, you can mask or mollify them! Have other ideas for handling this decorating challenge? Add a comment to this article.