Vintage Ceiling Fans Style for Retro Interior Designs

August 11th, 2017

Today I’m talking about Retro Ceiling Fans. When I say that term out loud, I think of ceiling fans quietly circulating air in a ‘50s diner. But some vintage ceiling fans I’ve seen in the diners I go to are not quiet! If the restaurateur had invested in quality fans, they’d look great, perform better, and run nice and quiet.

“Retro” reminds a lot of people of art deco design. It also calls to mind mid-century modern designs that are simple - almost minimalist in nature. To that end, there are a lot of contemporary ceiling fans that have that retro flair.

All the retro-look, vintage-look ceiling fans I mention today are completely modern. They have the newest, best-performing, quietest motors. They just happen to have a retro vibe about them.

I’m hoping I can suggest exactly what you’re looking for as you search for retro or vintage ceiling fans. But my idea of Retro and your idea of Retro might be different. Go ahead and give me a call so we can talk about what you want. As soon as you start describing, I’ll be much better equipped to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

My favorite Retro Vintage Ceiling Fans:

Minka Aire Acero Retro Vintage Ceiling Fan

The Minka Acero has a beautiful, modern look while giving a mid-century modern retro vibe. The industrial cage gives it a little pop and flash while still feeling like it was made in a simpler time. Minka Aire makes a great ceiling fan. And the Acero is no exception. Perhaps most important, this fan pushes plenty of air plenty fast and it does so using very little energy. As you can see here, the fan comes with powerful lights. Minka Aire designed the Acero for Art Deco, Industrial, Mid-Century Modern, and Modern interior designs. It may be a little much for Minimalist or Scandinavian, but it might work there, too.

Savoy House Taurus Ionizing Fandelier Retro Ceiling Fan

And now for something a bit different. The Taurus Fandelier is a beautiful - some might say spectacular - chandelier fan. This ceiling fan has a really interesting and beautiful retro vibe to it. Savoy House is excellent at making chandelier fans, so this is right up their alley. It’s efficient and moves air really fast. But don’t forget this is a little bit smaller fan, so the volume of air inside the cone it creates is small. The fan itself is only a foot wide. Nonetheless, it would only take a few of these in a large space to set up a tornado in your home. We say here that you need a fan that pushes air to 3mph to feel it. Well this fan gets air up to over 8 miles per hour - which is a whole lot. This fan is perfect for Art Deco interior design, but could work in a lot of places. Some feel it has a 1970’s modern look.

Matthews Fan Co. Bianca Directional Wood Retro Vintage Ceiling Fan

Matthews makes this little retro fan. It’s great! And with the distinctive polished brass look, it stands out, and elegantly so. They also make it in chrome and I believe a brushed metal look, too. The quality of this fans stands out immediately. It reminds me of a day when manufacturers build everything for quality. Now, some places seem to focus on getting you to buy another and another. Matthews Fan Company also makes a fan like this but with a cage, if you prefer that look. This retro fan as pictured works well with Art Deco, Industrial, Mid-Century Modern, Minimalist, Modern, Scandinavian and Steampunk.

Minka Aire Vintage Gyro Retro Ceiling Fan

Now if you like the Matthews Bianca but you’re afraid one isn’t enough, here’s another option for you. The Vintage Gyro by Minka Aire definitely has a retro look. This dual head fan that moves plenty of air all over the place. Here’s something you might not expect about the Gyro - it has a wet version. It’s not Damp-rated, it’s Wet-rated - supposedly ready for rain. This one here is not the wet version, but they look similar. The Vintage Gyro is great for Industrial interior design. It works in other design languages, too, including Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern. It’s downright perfect for Steampunk. Let your imagination take you where you wish with this one. It’s a fun fan.

Modern Fan Co. Industry Retro Vintage Ceiling Fan

Modern Fan’s Industry is a neat ceiling fan - the the kind of design you see all that much. It kind of reminds me of a 1950s or 1960s satellite. It has an interesting galvanized metal finish. Modern Fan Co. usually makes a great fan, and this one is no exception. The Industry efficiently moves over 6000 CFM. That’s well over 3 miles per hour, and this is an efficient retro fan, too. The Industry looks great in an Industrial setting, which is not surprising. It also works with Modern and perhaps Shabby Chic.

Craftmade Faraday II Retro Dual Head Vintage Ceiling Fan

Craftmade has a dual-head retro ceiling fan in its line-up. The Faraday II is a bit more industrial in its design, and slightly more modern with chunky elements. Whereas Minka’s Gyro has more vintage in feel, Craftmade’s Faraday is more retro. The blades on the Faraday II are only 14 inches, but man, they push that air fast. This retro ceiling fan gets air going over seventeen miles per hour! So there’s no doubt it can circulate air in your home well. The Faraday II works well in Art Deco, Industrial, and Modern interior designs. It may do well in Minimalist or Scandinavian settings, also.

Minka Aire San Francisco Retro Vintage Ceiling Fan

A lot of people like this San Francisco, and they’re not wrong. I like it, too. It comes in two different color schemes, and I feel this is the more retro design. In any case, you have a look and you decide. It actually strikes me as Craftsman or Prairie style, but with a bit of modern jazz to it. Not only does it look great and make a solid style statement, it’s a good performer, too. It’s a Minka Aire retro ceiling fan, so you know it’s going to be good. The San Francisco should work in Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern, Modern, Scandinavian and Steampunk interior design homes. If you want to use it as a statement piece, it’s at home in a Minimalist interior design, too.

Savoy House Seaside Fandelier Retro Vintage Ceiling Fan

I picked another Savoy HouseFandelier for you - the Seaside. This retro vintage ceiling fan chandelier is quite different than the Taurus design. It’s simpler and less opulent looking. Like the Faraday II, this one is little more industrial. More night shift and less night club. As with all the fans I picked, this one is a solid performer. The Seaside is in the 14 inch class. You can put your Seaside outside in protected areas, but if you do that you may need more than one. This fan pushes air to over 7 mph, but as it’s only 14 inches in diameter that’s not very much air. Actually, Savoy’s Seaside works great in Industrial. Its diminutive size may lend itself to Minimalist. It ought to work in Modern well, and Scandinavian and Steampunk. It might work in Mid-Century Modern.

Matthews Fan Co. Jarold Retro Vintage Ceiling Fan

The Matthews Bianca and Jarold are related and both are definitely lovely retro ceiling fans. Like the Bianca, it’s a small fan, but makes good wind - nearly 8 mph. It has a decided vintage retro vibe to it as the housing looks a bit like a WWII-vintage airplane motor. And what’s great about these vintage ceiling fans is they fit in small places where standard full-size ceiling fans won’t fit. Matthews’ Jarold is perfect for Art Deco, Industrial, Mid-Century Modern, Minimalist, Modern, Scandinavian and Steampunk Designs. Additionally, it might even work in Shabby Chic.

Minka Aire Aluma Wet Retro Vintage Ceiling Fan

Minka’s Aluma Wet is another modern fan that compliments a vintage setting to give it a retro look. It’s another fan that has a full Wet-UL rating, meaning you can put it in the rain. Performance is very good, making over 3 mph of wind - not bad for a full size ceiling fan. Finally, as far as its retro look, it will work in a few vintage interior design settings. These include Mid-Century Modern, Minimalist, and Scandinavian interior designs.

Again, these are just a couple of my favorite retro vintage ceiling fans. If you want to talk about Retro Ceiling Fans and the way they fit in your vintage interior design, I’m here. Call me at 800 201 1193, extension 136. Then ask for Felix. There are many more fans that might fit your bill but did not make my list due to space and time limitations.

Thanks for coming by. I hope this helps!