Call me narcissist if you must but this blog is all about ME. I have another blog about my kids, whom I love and adore writing about. But I was Nicole a long time before I was mom and I don't intend to give up being Nicole overnight.

p.s.
You can read all about my kids at Naptime Optional.
Or you can follow along on our Arizona adventure on my 365 project blog.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Form Vs. Function

We've been shopping for ceiling fans. Turns out when you build a home in AZ they don't actually put light fixtures in the bedrooms or living areas. Instead you get a switched outlet and the idea is that you plug in a floor lamp.

I am not a fan of a floor lamp being my only light source plus I am a huge fan of ceiling fans so we optioned to have the bedroom and living areas pre-wired for ceiling fans. But it is just that-a pre-wire. No fans included.

At Lowes yesterday we found a fan that Mike is in love with and a fan that I am in love with. And this is a classic Mars vs. Venus scenario. Mike is completely focused on functionality and I am fixated on style.

Here is the fan I like.

Photo

I like it because:

-It is brushed nickel, which is the color of the hardware throughout the house
-It is decently sized with 52" blades
-It holds 4 40 watt bulbs, for a total light output of 120 watts
-I hate when you look at a light fixture and you stare straight at the light bulbs-this fan solves that problem in what I think, is a very stylish, unique fashion.



Here is the fan Mike likes.

Zoomed: Hunter 60" Regalia Brushed Nickel Ceiling Fan
He likes it better because:

-It, too, is brushed nickle to match our hardware
-It has bigger blades-60" to be exact, which means more air flow
-It hold 3 60 watt bulbs, for a total light output of 180 watts
-This fan has an option for flush mount. The one I like requires downrod mounting, which can sometimes lead to more wobbling at higher speeds
-This fan also hides the bare bulbs for softer/diffused lighting but I argue it's a more traditional way of achieving that, and is not nearly as stylish.


So what do you think? What is more important.....Form or Function????



8 comments:

moon said...

Form seems to always win out in our house, but not in the way you'd expect. Melissa is always thinking, "I'm going to have to clean that." And I'm thinking, "How many times am I going to hit my head on that?" Couple of weirdos, I know. But practical! We have very simple, flush mount fans in our house, with the light fixture part chosen specifically so it doesn't hang down very much. It works for us.

Ryan said...

I like the Ragalia better. But I'm not really a fan of little mini lamps in shades, so no surprise there.

ME Moon said...

yup, i think about having to clean it....so i don't like anything that would literally collect dirt. almost all of our light fixtures are closed or the lights hang down...which yes, shows the light bulb. now where isn't there a hybrid of your two fans? ;)

Holly said...

Um. I don't know which is more important. But I like your fan better.

orangemily said...

Function

Andria said...

I looked at your two fans. Yours was lovely. Mike's made me want to poke my eyes out. Function is nice, but I know looking up at Mike's fan every day would make me shrink inside a little. I say, go with what lifts your soul.

Garmon said...

Flip a coin.

Staci said...

Functionality can still meet fashion. The ceiling fan light that Mike likes could be stylish if you repaint the blades and the base of it. For a minimal cost, you would be transforming it to a chic room accessory. Here’s an example I got from Pinterest that you might like: http://pinterest.com/pin/67835538106966866/.

Staci Severns