Ceiling fans get a lot of flack from the design industry, but sometimes there is no way around needing them. If that is your story, there are ways to keep within a vintage design theme. Let me show you how to make a DIY industrial ceiling fan.
When we first bought our old house it had several huge ceiling fans.
I was not a fan.
Of course, there is no AC in this 100+ year old house. Although, the big, old trees surrounding it are surprisingly cooling.
We heat the house with a woodstove and the heat must be distributed. So, after brutally banning all ceiling fans in the house, I admitted that we did indeed NEED a fan in the fireside room.
This is what came with the house.
before
Nice, huh.
And this was after we removed the popcorn ceiling. It accidentally sat out in the rain for too long during the initial renovation, giving it that nice droopy flower petal look.
When we were re-doing this room (see Fireside Room Reveal), I needed a more rustic, masculine piece to keep all the white, feminine style in check.
Here some elements that make up the industrial, rustic look in a ceiling fan.
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- No Lights
- Sometimes, this is not possible. Scroll down for some nice farmhouse style fans with lights.
- Even number of blades
- This can help, but is also not neccessary.
- Metal
- Wood
- Straight Lines
Here are some other gorgeous ceiling fans that caught my eye.
Click on the images below to find out more.
after
In order to recoup our loss of light, we (ok, my husband) installed recessed lighting.
He put one light in each corner of the room, which leant to a museum feel. The wood stove, coat rack, and two wingback chairs were each spotlighted.
I instantly loved it!
Meanwhile, I located a cheap fan on Craigslist that fit my criteria and got to work. Here is the simple makeover process I used to create this rustic style ceiling fan.
DIY Industrial Ceiling Fan
Supplies
- Ceiling fan
- Tan spray paint
- Disposable paint brush
Tutorial
- First, disassemble the fan.
- Spray paint the blades tan.
- Then, spray paint the hardware dark brown.
- Next, very quickly and lightly dust (spray) the tan blades with the brown spray paint.
- IMMEDIATELY brush (long ways) the wet brown paint to create a wood grain.
So, with a couple of colors of paint and a little faux painting trick you can create a simple industrial ceiling fan all by yourself.
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Love the simplicity of the fan. It suits the room.
I think your talent, in part, lies in knowing “the look” you are wanting to achieve. With that as your guide, your creativity kicks in, and you find the elements that will work for you. It is a gift.
Author
Thank you, Brenda, that means a lot to me. Pinterest is my best friend when it comes to finding the look I want.;)
I’m so going to try this! When we first moved in our home our fan had all the brass hardware and I spray painted it oil rubbed bronze (because back then I painted everything that!! lol). But love the lighter look! Thanks for sharing!
It is perfect Sarah! I was hoping you were going to tell us you found a cap for where the lighting use to be on the fan. There is a fan I want for our front porch but it comes with a lighting kit which we do not need. Anyways, love this! Great job.
Author
Oh no, I’m sorry, I have never used one of those. Did you check Lowes and Home Depot?
I love how the fan turned out, Sarah! I’m not sure I would have thought of all this work to convert a pretty ordinary looking fan into looking so wonderful now in your room. As always, nice work!
This diy is amazing! I have been looking for a way to spruce up the ceiling fans in our new home. Great job!
I did that when I redid my kitchen a couple of years ago – repurposed the ceiling light too. Love spray paint! Everything looks new.