Greetings, friends! And welcome to Caroline Finds It: my new weekly newsletter where I reply to submissions from YOU for objects and products you need recommendations for.
This week’s request comes from Caroline in Marietta, OH*:
“Summer and summer guests are around the corner!! Our guest room is missing one item: a ceiling fan. AC in that room is on the weak side, an air fan would be the perfect addition for a good night’s sleep. Your mission if you accept it:
*The room has a very low ceiling: 7 feet 10 inches.
*Fan would also be the main light source of the room.
*For our guests to sleep well , is there such a thing as a « whisper silent » fan?
* I might be pushing it but, is “pretty fan” an option??
* remote control would be just perfect.
* budget…. I do understand « silence » would have a certain price.”
Dear Caroline,
WHAT. A. TASK. My guest room is also so small and so stuffy. After 7 years of guests politely denying that they’re uncomfortable, I decided to tackle this exact task last summer. I don’t know about you, but I’m no expert when it comes to electrical things, and had also never bought a ceiling fan, so this was an unusually stressful task for me and I’m happy to share my findings so it’s a little easier for you!
To add to your parameters: it needs to be a flush mounted fan, and less than 44” wide, as I’m assuming that the room is also not particularly large.
Especially when it comes to large objects, I try my best to find something second hand OR something manufactured as near to me as possible. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good secondhand source for something like this, and to my knowledge, there is only one brand that is made in the US, called Matthews, but none of their fans are low profile enough for your room. Just for kicks, how fun is this one?!:
Do check out Matthews Fan Company if you’re ever looking for something high-quality, with an industrial vibe and gorgeous hardwood features. Moving on to our task at hand, I have two viable options to present to you:
If a traditional ceiling fan style is more your jam, I’ve found that Hunter has a bit of a monopoly on flush-mount, low-profile fans with lights. The Hunter Dublin fan ($299) is quiet with WhisperWind ™ technology and come in three different colors, including this lovely green:
When shopping for stuff like this, I like to always check the brand’s website for reviews and information, as well as other retailers so can get the full picture of what I’m buying and what the verdict is. One thing I learned from reading countless ceiling fan reviews is that there’s no such thing as a perfect ceiling fan. At the end of the day, the basic function and longevity of the product are the most important things. And in your case, the right profile to keep even your tallest guest safe from decapitation.
Because most typical fans are a little wide for a really small room, and seem as though they could be potentially unsafe, I’d take a good look at this caged fan from Arranmore ($288), which is what I ended up buying:
It’s small but MIGHTY, looks attractive on the ceiling, is quiet enough, has a remote and takes LED bulbs. One thing I’ll note is — the lights are dimmable, which is a great feature, but be sure that your light switch dimmers are compatible with LED, otherwise it might flicker (I’m currently procrastinating on fixing this issue in my home!).
You might be wondering why I’ve only given you two fans to choose from here, and it’s because from my extensive research for myself, and in the past week, these really are just the only two options that seem long-lasting, aren’t hideous and meet all of the requirements at hand. If you’re worried that a ceiling fan might not be enough to keep the night sweats at bay, I’d also recommend the Vornado V Fan , or any Vornado fan for that matter. I own two of these in a discontinued chrome finish and find that they provide really great additional air movement on the stuffiest days of summer.
Good luck creating a guest room that makes your visitors feel at ease no matter the weather!
*No, I am not answering my own question :) Caroline (pronounced the French way) happens to live in my hometown!
QUICK ANSWER
From Annie in Malaysia: “My doctor recently told me I need to be drinking a lot more water per day, so I’m looking for a new water bottle that will keep my water cold and encourage me to drink more water (I’m thinking, giant sized?). Preferably something with a straw option but that is cat-proof so it doesn’t spill (much) when my cats inevitably knock it over. Bonus points if it’s pretty.”
Insulated, giant and with a straw lid that stays in place. Got it. I’d written out this whole section earlier this week, and then just yesterday I was in a thrift store uptown and spotted this Takeya bottle, which is a whopping 64oz, has a straw, comes in cute colors and is extra cat-proof with a rubber bumper on the bottom. And good news for you, there’s an insulated version, too!
FAVORITE PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Sometime a couple of years ago, I found myself on the website for Zizia Botanicals, which is a brilliant and ever-growing brand of botanical products that fit into a rare category: their branding is top notch AND the products are actually good. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is regularly tricked by an IG ad into impulse buying yet another bogus wellness products with good packaging. Lucky for us, Zizia is the real deal and their new Viper Balm is basically a woo woo version of that crazy Lip Venom product that was all over the pages of magazines in the early aughts. Viper Balm is zingy, a little tinted, hyper moisturizing and also burns just enough to make you think it’s working. Extra bonus points for coming in a metal tube because, yay! no plastic! and because I get to use my beloved Tube-Wringer™. Someday I’ll write an impassioned Ode To The Tube-Wringer, but for now, I’ll just keep recommending products to use it on.
P.S. New Yorkers: for the next two weekends, Friday-Saturday, you can buy Zizia products (including Viper Balm) IRL at the EVERYBODY.WORLD pop-up at 172 Forsyth Street, alongside many other stellar brands.
Is there a product you’re looking for? Submit your request here. See you next Friday for fresh recommendations! xo Caroline