Lighting: The Other Gem of Ceiling Fans

Most homeowners know the value of a well-placed ceiling fan. Whether it's in your living room, bedroom, kitchen or even your backyard patio, a ceiling fan provides all kinds of benefits to the home. So don't ignore one of the best features this ceiling fixture—your ceiling fan light. Be it shedding light on your kitchen cabinets, a cozier atmosphere for your bedroom than a regular overhead light, or a nice reading light for your patio after the sun has set, ceiling fan lighting can enhance the setting of any room in the house.

Lighting Options
One of the reasons why ceiling fan lights are more intimate than regular overhead lighting is the fan itself. Installed at the bottom of the ceiling fixture, ceiling fan lights reduce the distance between the light and the lighted area making the light more localized, like a lamp.

To even out this limited lighting area, ceiling fan lighting typically includes four or five bulbs. This allows all areas of a room to be lighted and, when desired, selectively lighted. Light bulbs can be partially unscrewed to dim a particular section of a room or lower wattage bulb can be placed in sockets where you would like to keep a room dimmer. If you know there will be times when you won't want all the lights on, you should consider a lighting system where the pull chain can select different lighting options.

On the other hand, if you prefer the look and feel of a domed light, there's no reason you can't choose this light for your ceiling fan. A domed light will distribute your light more evenly through your room or patio and can be frosted according to your preference. Remember when considering your lighting options, that the bulb covers will also play a large part in determining the appearance of your ceiling.

Decorative Options
Not only will bulb covers help influence how the light falls on your room, they provide endless decorating options for your ceiling fan lights. Simple white or clear glass will provide simple decorating tones that will keep a visitor's attention lower in the room. Stained glass can provide nice highlights. Period designs can add the perfect accent to a decorating theme. As with all decorating choices, you'll want to find the right ceiling fan lighting options that look striking in their own right and go well with the rest of your room.

In any case, you should call to see if you can retrofit ceiling fan lights or new bulb covers onto your existing ceiling fan. Or, if you're choosing a new ceiling fan, don't forget about this important ceiling fan accessory.