When the temperature rises, it's time to turn out the floor, table, and desk fans, especially if you don't have central air conditioning.
But in a well-designed house, that can sometimes feel bittersweet because so many fans look awkward or downright ugly.
"Let's be real," said Laura Umansky, the founder of Laura U Design Collective, an interior design firm with offices in Houston and Aspen, Colorado.
The good news is that there are more – and better – options than there used to be.
Ms. Umansky has a Dyson fan in every bedroom of her home in Snowmass Village, Colorado. "I like that it's calm and very elegant," she said.
But she also likes retro-style fans: "There are some really cute, vintage-looking fans out there."
Of course, you can install a ceiling fan instead, but plug-in fans have some advantages. Unless your overhead area is monopolized by a fan, there is room for a decorative light fixture that is more of a design statement.
And as soon as the weather gets cooler, according to Ms. Umansky, a plug-in fan can be "easily stowed in a cupboard".
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Should a fan vibrate? If you are concerned about maximum performance, this should be the case. "I want it to spin and move air all over the room," said Ms. Umansky.
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How is the fan controlled? "A remote control that you keep on your bedside table is helpful," said Ms. Umansky when you want to adjust the settings from the bed.
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Should it serve as an air purifier? Not necessarily, but if you have allergies an air purifier can help.
Stadler Form Otto Fan Bamboo
Fan with bamboo casing
About $ 200 at Target: 800-440-0680 or target.com
Arden pedestal fan
Floor fan with wooden tripod legs
$ 429 at Rejuvenation: 888-401-1900 or rejuvenation.com
VFan Mini Modern
Retro style Vornado fan with metal case and legs
About $ 40 at Home Depot: 800-466-3337 or homedepot.com
Air purifier cool
Oscillating air purifier fan with remote control
From around $ 550 at Dyson: 844-705-4777 or dyson.com
Bluefeel rechargeable desktop fan
Portable fan with remote control and USB-C charging cable
$ 60 at the MoMA Design Store: 800-851-4509 or store.moma.org
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