Today’s post is a collaboration with Build.com, who provided me with a ceiling fan in exchange for this post. I’m also a member of the Build.com affiliate program, so if you make a purchase through my affiliate links, I may receive a commission.
You can read The Gathered Home’s full disclosure here, but I hope you all know by now that I do only share things I really truly love: like this ceiling fan I just installed in our master bedroom that proves once and for all that good design and comfortable breezes while you sleep CAN coexist peacefully.
World-changing, right?
Find it here: MinkaAire Artemis ceiling fan in Distressed Koa
You see, at some point somewhere, I’m figuring someone established that all ceiling fans should have:
- 5 paddle-shaped blades with a faux wood finish
- A hockey-puck motor casing in the metal du jour (shiny brass for the 90’s, brushed nickel for the aughts)
- Whale-tail arms to attach the fan blades to the motor casing
- 3-4 protruding eyeball lights, with fancy glass bells that diffuse light in every direction except, you know, down
- 2 chains with no visual distinction between the two, for maximum confusion when you just want to adjust the fan in the middle of the night, but end up accidentally turning on the wattage of a thousand suns at 2:00 in the morning – oh, and you have to be standing on the bed to reach them, too.
And everyone just went along with this, for way too long. We were all stuck in a fan-shaped box where occasionally someone got freaky with the metal colors (oil rubbed bronze? you devil!) or fan blade finish, but we never really questioned the establishment.
We just accepted that fans were inherently gawky, and if we wanted to sleep in comfort, we had to pay the price of admission and mumble excuses to justify our “bad design.”
Well, ceiling fans are non-negotiable in this household. Texas is hot, y’all. We sleep with the fan on for most of the year. As a 21st-century breeze-loving modern woman, I’ve come to expect a cool breeze in my face while I snooze.
So you can imagine what a revelation it was when I realized that not every ceiling fan manufacturer was stuck inside the same old 5-sided box. Some are doing new and exciting and downright beautiful things with this everyday fixture.
Find it here: MinkaAire Artemis ceiling fan in Distressed Koa
Like the Artemis ceiling fan in Distressed Koa from MinkaAire, a functioning work of art!
- 3 sculptural blades, reminiscent of an airplane propeller, that completely wrap the motor housing
- A beautiful distressed Koa woodgrain finish, from top to bottom
- A soft, warm, diffused LED light
- Absolute silence on the lowest setting, with only the sound of air movement on the middle and high settings
- And a blessed remote control, for easy light and fan adjustments from bed!
Even the process of ordering the fan from Build.com was revolutionary for me! You don’t need to worry that you’ll be halfway through installation and realize you don’t have a part you need – when you add the ceiling fan to your cart, a window pops up with all the optional parts you might also need.
Just choose any additional parts you need (I added a 12″ downrod due to our ceiling height, and the handheld remote control) or check the box that says “I don’t need this.” I found it really helpful to think through exactly what I needed for installation!
It’s always easiest to start by taking the blades off the old fan first.
Although I detest working up high on a ladder, I was pretty excited to get the old ceiling fan taken down, as you can imagine!
Standard disclaimer: Before beginning any electrical work, make sure the power is turned off at the breaker.
Disclaimer #2, lest you think I routinely DIY in cute fall-themed outfits: It was after church, and I knew I wanted to snap some process photos, so I didn’t change into my usual sweats.
From start to finish, the process of removing the old fan and hanging the new one took just a little over one hour, and I followed the instruction booklet that came with the MinkaAire Artemis fan closely.
Installing the new ceiling fan bracket
Everything was clearly laid out, from installing the new ceiling fan bracket, to connecting various pieces of the motor assembly, to wiring the remote control receiver.
My anxiety level always reaches “defusing bomb with 0:59 seconds to go” when I’m doing anything involving electricity, but each wire was helpfully labeled, and the whole process was just about as plug-and-play as possible.
Hanging the new MinkaAire Artemis ceiling fan motor – it’s incredibly heavy and well built!
When I reached the step of attaching the fan blades, I was seriously so impressed with the way they fit together, and the engineering that went into this graceful design! Each blade slots into place with a series of pegs, and overlaps the other.
Installing the MinkaAire Artemis Distressed Koa fan blades
Last step: install the LED light kit (literally via a tiny plug) and the frosted glass shade, turn the breaker back on, and follow the instructions to pair the remote!
It’s always a little nerve-wracking to flip that switch and test it out, and I had a little bit of a scare (okay, panicked heart attack) at first when there was no response to the switch or the remote, but it turns out that it was complete user error with our timing. You have to flip the switch and hold down a specific button to pair the remote, all within a few seconds. You wouldn’t think that would be that difficult, but I think we were actually over thinking it at first!
The light came on on the second try, and the bedroom finally had the last missing piece in place!
I’d been dreaming of finishing up this space with a new, sculptural ceiling fan for so long – it was so fulfilling to finally see that vision come to life, and well worth the wait! It feels good to be able to call our master bedroom makeover complete.
As a reminder, here’s where the room started earlier this year:
Read more here: Master Bedroom Before & Plans
And here it is now:
As you can see, there have been a few changes to this space since I last shared it, and I’ll be sharing those with you soon in more detail!
For now, you’ll probably find me lying in bed completely mesmerized by these fan blades!
Catch up on this master bedroom makeover:
Master Bedroom: Before & Plans
Master Bedroom Update: “Green Tea” Walls
Master Bedroom Update: Ladies and Gents, We Have a Floor!
Master Bedroom Update: Reptile in the House
Inspired by Miles Redd: Glossy Red Tassel Mirrors
Inspired by Iris Apfel: Master Bedroom Gallery Wall & Reading Nook
Master Bedroom Makeover: A Fan-tastic Finishing Touch
oooh i like the new fan! and i also dig that tunic!
Thank you Cassie!!! I can’t believe how happy the new fan design makes me! (And the new tunic is a favorite recent secondhand find! Even my clothing is mainly thrifted, haha)
gorgeous fan! I also love your solution to that strangely shaped window, putting the curtain in front of the whole space is genius! 🙂
Thank you Stephanie! The fan was really the perfect finishing touch in here!
And I cannot tell you how many hours I spent wracking my brain over that window – in the morning, the sun pours right in and I was ready to just nail board up to cover the whole thing! So thankful I was able to find blackout curtains in the right length!!
that is a seriously pretty fan! and I think I’m behind on master bedroom updates….I saw the pics and was blown away–it’s looking amazing!
Right? I really never thought I’d ever love a ceiling fan this much! It’s been just a little while since I shared an update for sure – you’re so sweet! This room has come a looooooong way this past year for sure!