Want to stir things up around the house this summer? Add a ceiling fan.

It's true stirring up the air will make you feel immediately coolers. But ceiling fans do more than just bring about breezes. Designed with the latest home decor trends in mind, these overhead fans move in fashionable circles.

"Fans today are design pieces as well as functional appliances," says Patrick Wilson, vice president, sales and marketing for Minka Aire, a ceiling fan manufacturer based in Corona, CA.

"Customers are interested in using fans as design elements,"

High-tech, contemporary designs have become popular in the last few years. As a result, brushed nickel, steel, and sleek pewter finishes get thumbs-up approval from trendsetters. Earth tones like rustic copper and bronze are also hot-sellers. Ditto painted finishes and washes.

"People are more inquisitive than ever about ceiling fan possibilities," "People want something attractive on their ceiling and they are concerned about matching the fan's design to their decor."

Ceiling fans work well in any home, thanks to a variety of design options. Ornate filigree blade holders offer a graceful, turn-of-the-century ambience. Brushed steel housing and light-colored maple blades offer the ultimate in contemporary styling. Classic polished brass finishes work well in more traditional homes.

“Today’s fan customer seems less interested in price and more concerned about matching their ceiling fan to their home décor. I think it’s great to offer a product that makes a home more comfortable and adds beauty at the same time,”

The soaring ceilings and expansive great rooms in today's newer homes have increased demand for larger fans with bigger blades and longer down rods. Manufacturers comply, creating phenomenal fans that move massive quantities of air and work well in 30-foot tall spaces and lofts.

Fan design isn't the only thing that's expanded. Places to put ceiling fans have also increased. These fans bring a breeze to almost any home space, inside or out -- from kitchens, bathrooms and dining areas to porches, patios and gazebos.

"We are seeing more fans being used on patios than ever before," "People are using their porches and patios as extra rooms. They spend money on landscaping and landscape lighting, then add the fans so they can sit out and enjoy it all."

With more than 14 million ceiling fans sold annually, most do double-duty, lighting a room as well as moving air. "Our research indicates that a majority of ceiling fans are sold with a light fixture because consumers are usually replacing a light in their room,"

Little wonder. Ceiling fans today offer a wide variety of lighting options that add interest to any home. Mission-inspired fans look great with mica or stained-glass light fixtures. Art Deco styles boast white frost fixtures for a clean look. Glass shades etched with flowers add a romantic touch to a little girl's room.

"Ceiling fans have become an important part of the lighting scheme in homes today," says Held, who often works with customers to combine recessed and decorative lighting with ceiling fans.

Some fans feature built-in lighting. Others work with light kits, allowing dwellers to mix-and-match light fixtures and fitters to create a customized look.

When choosing lights for your ceiling fan, be sure they meet the room's needs. Workspaces like kitchens and home offices demand bright light. Bedrooms and dining rooms, however, require more subdued illumination. Dimmer switches also allow you to adjust the light on a fan to fit your mood.

To create more relaxed lighting, consider the latest introduction -- ceiling fans with indirect uplighting. "The uplight bounces ambient light off the ceiling to create a comfortable mood," says Jeffrey. Emerson debuted uplighting last year, combining it with more traditional downlighting in several models this season.

Like garage doors and television sets, some ceiling fans utilize remote controls to not only adjust lights, but operate the fan itself.

"Everything else has a remote, why not a ceiling fan?"

Tall ceilings and aging Baby Boomers make remotes a good idea. "The older population and couch potatoes don't want to jump up and down to pull a chain on a fan," says Minka Aire's Wilson.

In addition to turning fans on and off, some remotes automatically adjust the fan based on changes in the room's temperature, turn lights on and off when you're not home and dim lights as you leave the room.

Ceiling fan prices are as diverse as the styles. Experts agree, however, that quality counts.

"Customers are more educated than ever about the different grades of fans," "Fans can cost up to $600 for a quality, deluxe model at a lighting showroom. Customers seem to be turning to the lighting showrooms and trading up to better merchandise, replacing ceiling fans that wobble, make noise and don't move air as well as top quality fans."

In fact, independent research from the American Lighting Association (ALA) indicates that 70% of consumers do not mind paying more for a higher quality product. The ALA points out that consumers will have the ceiling fan for many years so quality and style should be key factors in the buying decision.

CEILING FANS & ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Ceiling fans don't actually lower the temperature of a room like an air condition. But by spinning the air, they do make the room feel cooler.

"Ceiling fans augment air conditioning by moving air and creating a wind chill effect," says Patrick Wilson, vice president, marketing for Minka Aire, a ceiling fan manufacturer based in Corona, CA. "If your air conditioner is set at 72, the wind chill factor of the fan will make it feel like 68 degrees."

Best of all, ceiling fans use only about as much energy as a 100-watt light bulb. Studies show that by setting ceiling fans to spin in a counter-clockwise pattern, you can save as much as 40% off summer cooling bills -- without sweltering. Simply set the thermostat a few degrees higher and flip on the fan.

In the winter, ceiling fans move warm air back to the center of the room, pushing it down from the ceiling.

"With tall ceilings, it can be 10-15 degrees hotter up there than on the floor," says Wilson. "Ceiling fans can push that warm air back down to floor level."

Studies also reveal that ceiling fans can help homeowners save as much as 10% on their heating bills. Switch the direction of the blades to spin clockwise and turn on the fan.


10 TIPS FOR BUYING A CEILING FAN

Finding the fan that works best for your home is a breeze, when you follow the expert's advice.

• Bigger rooms need bigger fans. Choose a 50-to 56-inch fan for rooms up to 225 sq. ft. and larger. Pick up a 42-to 44-inch fan for rooms up to 144 sq. ft. Rooms up to 64 sq. ft. can use a 32-inch fan.
• Ceiling height is also important when choosing a fan. For safe operation, fan blades should be at least seven feet above the floor. A blade height of eight-nine feet is optimum.
• Look for a motor that can do the job. "The heart of the fan is its motor," says Mark Jeffrey, marketing manager for Emerson Electric Company Air Comfort Products Division in St. Louis, MO. "You can't see it but it is the real workhorse."
• The amount of air moved by a ceiling fan depends on the angle, or pitch, of its blades. A pitch of 14 degrees is optimum for maximum air movement.
• Consider your home's style. "If you want the fan to be part of your home's decor, look for colors and detail that complement," "If you want the fan to "disappear," choose one the color of the ceiling."
• Look for light fixtures and fitters that match your fan's finish.
• Ceiling fans run on electricity. Determine if you will need electrical wiring brought to the part of the room you want to add the fan. Since most fans replace existing lights, the wiring is usually already in place.
• When adding a fan to the bathroom, look for one specifically designed and UL-listed for damp locations. Want one for the patio? Opt for a fan that is UL-listed for wet locations.
• "A ceiling fan is only as good as the company who sells it to you," "Look for someone who will be able to help and service you."
• Buy the best quality you can afford. "People are willing to spend more money to achieve quiet operation, better performance and a look that complements their home decor,