I have a love/hate relationship with the ceiling fan.  I think they are ugly….and I usually opt to remove them whenever possible.  In fact, the movers hadn’t left our house before the fan was taken down in Maddie’s room and the chandelier from her old nursery was installed.

But, it is only April in Dallas and I can already see that they will become my friends in the coming months.  As I work on Harry’s nursery I am starting to think that I have to find a way to work in a ceiling fan (and not the wooden one that is in there) for practicality.

I have been thinking of having a drum shade made for a standard fan à la Dwellers without Decorators (image below).  However, with 8′ ceilings I am a bit nervous that they will look a bit out of scale (not to mention that my husband will bump his head!)

Funny enough, in the last week I have seen two ceiling fans that I think I could live with.  The first one is from the 2011 DC Design House that is currently open.  I like the acrylic blades and how the fan almost isn’t there.

image via My Notting Hill

A few days after spotting the above fixture, I noticed another acrylic fan in the bedroom of designer Tobi Fairley.  If it is good enough for Tobi, it is certainly good enough for me.

photo by Werner Straube for Traditional Home

In case you are interested, the first fan is by LucePlan and the second is by Quorum International.  I found a “retro” acrylic version on Quorum International that may work for Harry’s room.  What about you?  Do you have ceiling fans?  Any good sources for ones that look better than most?  I am always interested in hearing of a new source!

Update–The fan used in Tobi Fairley’s home pictured above came out in 2002 and has since been discontinued.  They do have some other acrylic options but you will not find the same fan.  Sorry! 

I have mentioned that we plan to do some remodeling to the downstairs of our 80+ year old home.  So, I do not want to do a lot of decorating in advance of what is sure to include a fair bit of demolition.  But, we like to entertain and have a few things on the schedule in the next month and I really do not want our guests to see this….

The Maddie G Family Room 

I thought posting this pitiful image with a promise of “after” shots might hold me to finding an interim style to tide us over until we have more permanent decor in place.  Here are a few inspirational images I’ve found while searching online.

 Cottage and Vine

In the image from Cottage and Vine, I love the texture provided by the grasscloth.  I also really like the mix of elements from the natural basket to the white ceramic and the glass.  The shelves look well done but not overdone!

Tobi Fairley

I love the color in the back of these bookshelves and the use of family photos interspersed.  I know we are not supposed to overdo it with photos in the home….but I do love a photo to bring a personal touch into a space.

Sally Steponkus

In the room by Sally Steponkus above, I love that she actually used books to fill the shelves!  And, I love how many of the red bindings subtly coordinate with the chairs in the forground.

Jay Jeffers

More color in the background and careful editing.  Notice the way the books are stacked in the bottom left.  I like the creative placement of the books vs. just lining them up on the shelf.

Finally, for even more inspiration and some “Do’s and Don’ts” hop on over to Dwellers without Decorators who had bookshelf styling on her mind last week as well.

Stay tuned, I vow to do something with my bookshelves this week.