Steve is 6′ 2.5″ (~1.9m), which granted, isn’t like…GIANT, but is still significant especially when planning home decor and DIY projects. We had to poo-poo several houses because he was barely able to stand upright on their 2nd floors (was everyone shorter in Upstate NY 50 years ago?) but luckily the home we purchased had a 2nd floor that was high enough that he wouldn’t feel like he was going to bang his head.
That is until I suggested we needed to get some fans up in this B.
Our top floor houses our bedroom, my office, a small bathroom, and our closet/landing. Being a Cape Cod-style home, that means the upstairs has some teeny-ass windows, too, and not much in the way of ventilation.
Ceiling Fan Alternatives
Which normally is fine, cause you know…we live in winter 2/3rd of the year. That 1/3rd of summer though is killer in a house with a second floor, with small windows, and no way to circulate air easily.
We’ve looked at low profile ceiling fans, but even they made Steve nervous, especially in the bedroom (though I could probably do one in my office since he’s not hanging out in there often). So what’s a girl to do? Here are the ways we’ve worked out some ceiling fan alternatives. Hopefully, it can help you if you’re feeling sweaty and have “ceiling fan vs. head” phobias:
Holmes Mini Fans
We started with these, mostly because they’re super tiny and can go anywhere. Probably not the best to point them DIRECTLY AT YOUR FACE all day, but eh…works for us. I have one on a shelf above my desk pointed at me, and we have them on both nightstands.
Tower fans
We have two: a Honeywell and Lasko. I got these for our bedroom and my office. But I didn’t really have a preferred brand, really. I just wanted ones that would have a low footprint that could fit in snug spaces in the right colors for each room. The Lasko one has a remote, too, which means it has an added shiny object factor to us….and as a side note, has come in REALLY handy while Steve is laid up with a sprained ankle and limited mobility.
Ye Olde Standard Box Fan
We keep this in the middle of the upstairs, mostly for the cats and for Jimmy. They love to lie in front of it and hog all the wind. Just FYI, the thrift stores in my area are filled with these and (at least around here) are all tested before put out on the selling floor, so I’d suggest hitting them up first before dropping full price.
One last thing, I don’t have this fan, but I desperately want it. Or rather, I desperately want a space I could use it in:
I mean come on, an old timey looking pedestal fan? How is that not already in my house?!