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Best Rated Fandeliers + How to Paint a Chandelier Ceiling Fan

ByLauren
35 Comments

A round up of the best rated fandeliers, what rooms to use them in, and how to paint a chandelier ceiling fan to customize your space.

I know I was an English teacher and all that, but I’m coming at you with an equation today…

1 ceiling fan + 1 chandelier = the fandelier !!!

It’s the greatest addition problem to ever happen to our living room now that we have a fandelier ourselves.

fandelier painted gold in a living room

As much as I liked our ceiling fan before, our style has evolved quite a bit in the 5 years since we put it up.

I always craved something that looked more like a chandelier without sacrificing the function of a ceiling fan. (Because your girl does not glisten, she sweats. Mmkay?)

BEFORE

farmhouse style ceiling fan in a living room

What is a Fandelier?

Fandeliers have come a long way in the past year or so, and they are a great lighting solution when you want to combine the comfort of a ceiling fan and the style of a chandelier.

At first glance, a fandelier looks like a chandelier, but internal disguised fan blades still allow the function of air circulation.

To be brutally honest, when I first saw the whole fandelier / bladeless chandelier ceiling fan idea hit the market, I was not cool with them (no pun intended).

They are hit or miss in my book when it comes to the “cute” factor. I look at some of them and think, “That has absolutely no business being in existence.”

Some of them cross the line into looking just plain weird. But a few really balance the line of function and beauty so well.

chandelier ceiling fan spray painted gold

So far, we are totally happy with this fandelier we just put up in the living room! It surprised Robert and me both that the air movement is even more powerful than with our old traditional ceiling fan.

A nice added feature our old fan didn’t have before is this one has a light kit dimming feature that creates a moody ambience in the evenings if we only want soft overhead lighting.

The remote control allows us to reverse the fan direction in the winter months to pull warm air down from the ceiling too.

gold spray painted chandelier fan in a living room with white walls and black French doors

The Best Rated Chandelier Ceiling Fans

I spent weeks searching for the “perfect” chandelier ceiling fan in our living room, read more reviews than I should admit (because I’m a review junkie), and made a wishlist of my absolute favorite fandeliers.

All of them pass the “designer test” but, most importantly, they function well according to others who have used them first hand.

glass and gold fandelier in a living room with limewashed brick fireplace white walls and black doors

How I Painted Our Chandelier Ceiling Fan

I really wanted an antique brass or gold chandelier ceiling fan, but of course as Murphy’s Law would have it, the one I really loved only came in brushed nickel or black. The shape was our style but the color wasn’t. So I busted out my tried and tested favorite gold spray paint.

Before Painting the Ceiling Fan

  • Remove glass and any other removable non-metal components from the fan
  • Completely cover wires and cords with a plastic trash bag and/or painters tape
  • Place on a drop cloth or scrap cardboard in a well ventilated area
how to paint a ceiling fan chandelier

Supplies Needed

The Steps

  1. In an even, sweeping motion, 12-18″ away, apply the automobile primer on the metal surface of the fandelier.
  2. Once the primer is dry, flip the fan over and apply primer to the underside.
  3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 with the gold spray paint.
priming a chandelier ceiling fan
spray painting a fandelier gold

TIP: It’s best to apply 2-3 thin even coats of spray paint rather than 1-2 thick coats to prevent drip marks. Be sure the first coat is completely dry before flipping the fixture over to paint the underside.

Where to Use Fandeliers

1. Home Gyms

We installed our first fandelier in our home gym shed last fall to keep the air circulating during workouts and having the ability to retract this ceiling fan’s blades when not in use (to make ceiling space for the occasional pull-up or medicine ball toss).

We’ve been fans of fandeliers in the home gym ever since.

a chandelier ceiling fan in a home gym with retractable blades

2. Bedrooms

Chandeliers are beautiful for creating ambience in bedrooms, but for those who need circulating air to sleep, fans are a must. So the chandelier fan can help bridge the gap between both for couples who can’t agree on their bedroom lighting. (We’ll probably go this route in the future for the bedroom too.)

3. Living Rooms

Since living rooms are usually the large rooms, choose a larger fandelier. Rooms meant for gathering can feel stuffy, so circulating the air when entertaining a crowd helps the room breathe.

4. Kitchens

If you can’t handle the heat, install a chandelier fan in the kitchen. When cooking, it can push heat, smoke, and food smells out of the room. Choose one that is smaller in place of semi flush mount light fixtures.

If your laundry room or dining room gets overheated, they could be helpful there too. However, I personally don’t love fans of any kind above dining tables since they can make food cold.

a painted gold fandelier in a living room with white sofas and leather chairs

Do you have a fandelier somewhere in your house? What’s the final verdict for you? Love or hate?

It took a while for them to grow on me, but I think lighting designers are starting to get it right.

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35 Comments

  1. Not a “fan”. I never cared for ceiling fans with lights either. Actually, I never jumped on the chandelier craze for living rooms, bedrooms, etc. as I always think overhead lighting is glaring, harsh, and unflattering unless it’s dimmed so low why bother. The exception being dining room chandeliers which are hung lower and can be dimmed to a warm and flattering light while still be functional. Like you said, to each his own.

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  2. Lauren, Great article. I have been teetering on the fence post for the very same thing a “fandelier”. BTW, Great name for it. I am definitely going to look into it and she did a beautiful job making a gold. Also, your home is Beautiful. Thanks again, Patricia

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  3. Well. I see Lola approved of the new fixture! I laughed so hard when I saw her sound asleep in that one picture. 🙂 The fan looks very elegant as well. I love the light “shades” or whatever they are called.

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  4. What a beautiful fixture you chose and I do love it in the gold, it really fits well in your room. 🙂 Brilliant to put one in the gym as well. I had never even heard of this style, so thanks so much for sharing! 🙂

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    1. It really is such a great solution! When the concept first came along in the beginning, they were too bulky and clunky for me, but they’re definitely getting better these days.

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  5. hmmm….not a “fan” hehe – but I’m not on the “gold” ship either. Looks more appropriate on your shed ceiling, so for me, until they jazz up their styles, I’ll stick with the regular ceiling fans. I think that’s expensive too, plus I think your old one fit the room size better. But good for you for finding what you wanted in there! I did like the link post about gold colors, as those really do vary – so interesting to see side by side choices.

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