Amidst the dead of winter, the last thing we’re thinking about is how to keep cool during the summer months. Let’s be honest, many of us escape to a mental happy place imagining the warmth of that summer sun on our skin. But the grass is always greener, and after about three weeks of actually feeling that summer heat, many are ready for the cool breeze of autumn. (Although I’d personally be okay with hot weather all year long.)
It seems no matter the season, we’re never quite prepared for the temperature. It’s too cold during the winter and too hot during the summer. But there must be a happy medium, right? Sure, we can use central heat and air. Easy. Problem solved. That is until our electricity bills makes an appearance – WHOA. So, now not only are we physically uncomfortable, but now we’re reaching our financial boiling point. One look at our dwindling bank accounts is enough to make us up and quit the system. Heck, spritzing yourself with a squirt bottle during the summer really doesn’t sound so bad.
But there’s a way to beat the summer heat without relying heavily on our air conditioning or taking extended cold showers. Here are three easy ways to survive the upcoming hot months without breaking the bank:
Feel that Cool Breeze- Now we’re not talking about your eccentric aunt’s plastic, large grimy-buttoned oscillating eyesore of a fan. We’re talking about well-designed, aesthetically pleasing works of art. These days, a fan can be just as eye-catching as your Eames lounge chair replica.
Consider the Otto Fan by Stadler Form. This is an industrial desk fan made of high grade steel harmonizing with the full-bodied texture of African Saeple or Bamboo wood. This isn’t your aunt’s fan, this fan combines style and function in one seamless design. It isn’t just transportable. The fan’s height-adjustable feet allow the user to control the direction of air circulation while its three-speed setting generates a light breeze or swift wind.
As Refreshing as it is Functional - You might still be wondering how a fan can keep you cool, calm and collected when you’re melting in a pool of your own sweat in the summer heat. As it turns out, people have been using the electric ceiling fan since the late 19th century. German immigrant Philip Diehl was working for the Singer Sewing Machine Company when it hit him: what if he took a sewing machine motor and affixed it to a fan blade? What if he attached this contraption to a ceiling? According to Family Tree Magazine, by the early 20th century Diehl had created the ceiling fan. Not soon after he started his own company, his designers put a split-ball joint on the electric fan. This adjustment allowed the fan to switch direction. Not long after, the oscillating fan came into play, fastened with its own light.
The ceiling fan then doesn’t just provide you with cool air, it can also brighten your room. The Artemis Ceiling Fan designed by Minka Aire combines form and function through its streamlined, three-bladed ceiling fan with a joined halogen lamp with dimming options. The curvature of the blades sweeps the air into rejuvenating currents that will dance along your skin and make you feel human again.
Make a Statement - Or maybe if you have to go with a fan, you would prefer one that was simple, but with a small twist. What’s the twist? It’s a floor fan that is as functional as it is beautiful. Instead of being tucked away in your desk or hanging from the ceiling like any other fixture, the Arden Floor Fan by Fanimation cools you in your Herman Miller chaise lounge while looking stylish at the same time. The Arden Fan’s sound oscillating airflow doesn’t just cool you down, it makes you look good doing it. With its tripod base of walnut wood and industrial aesthetic, this fan complements your style and saves you from the heat. It’s a win-win. So the next time you’re tempted to switch on the air conditioning, switch on a fan instead.
