Finally, companies are getting creative with fans. From ceiling fans that look like they popped out of a time machine from the year 2100, to stand alone fans that would fit neatly into a Victorian library, there’s been a lot more innovation than you’d expect from glancing into the average home’s living room. Here are some awesome examples of fans that will surprise and delight you:

Old Fashioned Style

(Images via smarter, ceilingfantasia, cutiegadget, smarter)

These fans would fit wonderfully into any Victorian setting, but I can also see them having a place in a dusty, well worn private investigator’s office, straight out of an old film. I especially enjoy the double fans, a creative twist on an old favorite.

Unique Offerings

(Images via geekologie, geekologie, houseandhome, treehugger, thisnext)

It’s great to see fan creators (and consumers) getting creative with one of the most common household features. Considering how much time people spend picking out a television, you’d think they’d spend more than 10 minutes at the local hardware store to pick out one of the most obvious and featured aspects of any room. Don’t be afraid to pick a conversation starter!

Stand Alone Innovation

(Images via hansenwholesale, remodelista, design-milk, inventorspot, design-milk)

Standing fans have experienced their own renaissance, both in appearance, and in function. The growing Dyson empire has expanded into the fan business with their bladeless system. I still don’t quite understand how they work, but you can tell they do…

Two Blades Are Better Than One

(Images via nerdapproved, palmfanstore, tropicalfancompany, ario_)

Double fans are becoming more common, and I’m definitely a fan. For a small room, they can generate plenty of airflow while breaking free of the typical fan system you’ll find in everyone else’s home.

Fans From The Future

(Images via boingboing, sliceofawesome, sliceofawesome, luxist, thegreenhead)

Retractable fan blades are totally uneccessary, but also totally amazing. Fanimation creates wonderful fans, and the retractables are definitely my favorite. Why stop there, though, when you can leap a few hundred years into the future and grab a fan with only one, extremely fast blade, that looks like a piece of a spaceship.

Kid Fans

(Images via crookedbrains, raftertales, 10dailythings)

Time to liven up your kids’ room with an awesome plane propeller. If they’re not into aviation, be careful, however, as seeing a monstrous jet plane that appears to be crashing down at you could be a startling image when you first wake up in the morning (especially if you’re 6).

Designer Fans

(Images via janineonadime, apartmenttherapy, slashgear, inewidea, yankodesign)

Designers don’t like to be left out of anything, and fans are no exception. These cool designs are an attempt to update the ceiling fan into something more worthy of the artistic minded. These are a little too out there for me, but I’m sure they appeal to a lot of aesthetically minded art lovers.