It would help to see a layout.

Also - if the ceiling is vaulted- be careful about any light coming through the fan blades and creating a strobe effect....

Regular 8' high ceiling. The TV center point is 18" off center of the room and permanent.

Ditto! Fan in center of the room.

Center of room.

Centering makes sense to me, too.

center it on the seating group. sitting 'here' and having the fan 'over there' will look odd.

So center the fan (and lighting around fan) with the room and not the TV? When I was standing there visualizing things, it seemed it would be better to have the fan in line with the TV to create the illusion that things are all centered up.

Your eye will know.... center the fan.

I'd center it on the seating area, too, like Nini suggested. :-) But I would also center the seating area on the TV, even if it meant (and especially if it meant) pulling furniture away from walls/windows.

If it bugs you to have a strip of space between the sectional and the window, add a sofa table behind that section of seating. That's what I'd do, anyway, if my husband insisted on a sectional (I don't have much love for sectionals, lol). ;-)

I guess I disagree...

I would omit the fan and use can lights...

(speaking from experience, here)

Well to add to everything: I will have low-profile flush mount LED lights in the room. I was planning on 4, equally spaced in a square around the fan. With the sofa arrangement, I may end up going with 6 lights so that I can ensure lighting at the sofa for reading. What I am currently considering is centering the fan with the TV. I sat down in the room and stared at the TV location. The fan being off by 18" would be very glaring, (noticeable), and consequently the lighting would feel off when sitting in the room. If I center the fan with the TV/Fireplace then that gives the illusion that the tv/fireplace/sectional/coffee table are in unison/center of the space.

Why are you getting a ceiling fan? Is it for looks or do you regularly not use your AC and need it for air circulation. We installed a couple in our home; only one remains (on the sun porch). They were magnets for pet hair.

I don't use AC if it's cool outside. I love fresh air. I'm all about opening windows when it's cooler outside than it is in the house instead of turning on the AC. Also, in the living room, a lot of family will gather so it's a very wise way to circulate air in that space to cool it off. Ceiling fans can save you a lot on your energy bill if you get up and kick on the AC because you feel warm - just turn on the fan. If you get up and kick on the heat because you feel cool, then turn the fan on with reverse motion to pull the warm air from the ceiling down to you. (Low, otherwise you will have windchill. But a low speed fan will move warm air down making it warm the space).

I have the same kind of set-up (which is why I suggested ditching the fan...)

Our fireplace is NOT centered in the room, but the fan is and it drives me crazy.

I would center it on the fireplace.

Center room.

Penny, that's what I am thinking too which is why I wonder why centering in the room is so common (aside from making the light layout easier due to fan being the center point to do equal-distant spacing for the lights). Maybe I am one of the 1% who do things different...lol Do you have a photo you would share with me or the forum here? I'm curious what your setup looks like taken from say the couch area or sitting area facing the Fireplace with the fan in the frame...that should make my decision a lot easier.

Can lights are the worse type of light, especially for reading. I suggest some low profile floor type reading lamps. Forget the can lights. Ceiling fans are designed to service the whole room, however, the main benefit, despite some advertising, is to cool the skin. If you must have the ceiling fan, put it in the center of the room and size it for the size of the room. There are some very nice floor fans that are coming back into fashion as well, and you can keep them out of the "line of sight", but they provide very comfortable breezy feeling. Some oscillate, some are more stationery. They are more effective, because they are at people level.

16" Floor Standing Fan Presitge- Rustica · More Info

I think pictures would help in this scenario! Please share, those who have this kind of setup. I realize in a perfect world the TV or Fireplace or both or picture...whatever your focal point is, would be dead center or within 6 inches of center making lighting layout, fan location, speaker location, etc a lot easier. I'm hearing some strong negatives to recessed lighting here... I have another thread discussing recessed light vs new LED ultrathin flush mount lighting...y'all may have to take a look at that and chime in.

Here's what I did in my living room. I'm not having a fan but a chandelier type fixture with four cans. The cans are in green and the fixture is in purple. I had the same issue as to whether to center in the room or center on the fireplace/tv area. I centered it based on the fireplace because the area near the windows is considered my "hallway". I won't have any furniture or anything sticking out in that area.

If you notice, the lights will be centered where my seating is.

I bet some wall sconces would be good to have...hmm...

Nic, in my living room, I have two floor plugs where I anticipate seating and then on either side of the fireplace I also have sconces over the bookcases. You absolutely want a variety of lighting.

Ceiling fans do make the room feel cooler even when using the AC. Why are so many people opposed to them? I leave my living room fan going all day in the summer. I would definitely center the fan in the middle of the room or use two fans, one on each end of the room if the room is long. Centering it over the tv is going to look weird and whoever lives there next might not want a tv where you have yours. If you're going to live there forever, then pay that no mind! There is a reason they are always in the center of the room.

I'd center it over the seating area since whole idea of the fan is to move air over the occupants of room. I faced a somewhat similar decision (without the can lights) in my house and am having it wired over the seating area. Ditto in the bedrooms where they will be centered over the beds. BTW, I love ceiling fans and wouldn't think of building a house without one in the greatroom, bedrooms & office/den. Of course this is a climate where the A/C gets used 7 -8 months out of the year so any help I can get feeling cooler without cranking the thermostat down is welcome.

cpartist - Since I will have a "modern" feel in the living room (basically using a sectional, electric fireplace, and modern/simple trim) I don't plan on having much for lamps that would sit on a table. The living room is small and designed for two walls full of seating and maybe a small chair out in the open area. I can only think of one good spot for a table lamp but it would mean I lose 1 seat in the sectional area. I asked a couple electricians about wall sconces and they chuckled because those are no longer a "thing" and more of a remodel friendly light source...which I disagree but they are all accustomed to people wanting a ton of recessed lights and calling it a day.

@All - The TV location is permanent because the fireplace location isn't moving. It's designed to be this way because it allowed front door traffic to walk uninterrupted through the living room space without going around an object and it adds the depth to the living room for viewing said TV and fireplace. This is hopefully a permanent home and the TV location will stay as is. This means the seating area will always be as shown but the furniture may be couches/sofas instead of a sectional if a change is ever necessary :) Flooring, rugs, carpet, etc all can be changes made to make it feel refreshed if seeking something new...but TV and fireplace stay... Because of this, the center location of the room does not have a lot of value in terms of seating and TV location.

As I look at the design and the comments I see a pattern of two opinions. Those who consider center of the room the only viable option and those who have had this situation and say to center with seating (which in this situation would mean center with TV and Fireplace, as I understand). I am happy to see I am not the only one who has had this problem and also not the only one thinking there is no right answer. To help aide my decision and hopefully some opinions, the fan is not the only object going on/in the ceiling. I do plan on having ceiling lights be it recessed or thin flush-mount lights. 4 to 6 lights in square or rectangle pattern, or 5 lights if I went with a light layout that favors the seating L shape. If I go with 4 lights I feel the seating area doesn't get enough light and if I go with 6 lights I run into the entire problem that sparked this topic of lining that middle series of lights up with the fan, and thus predetermining the spacing of all the lights in the room! (lost some hair here)

Belahn & Jim Yes, I love ceiling fans. They serve a valuable purpose!

How about a floor lamp to the right of the sofa behind it for reading?

I just wanted to add that in my living room, my fan is centered on my focal wall, which is my window wall...but it's not centered the other direction becuase, like you, it's a sort of passthrough on that side. There are can lights equidistant..

Don't forget, when you're looking up at the ceiling, there's no furniture to center anything on...so it's less noticable if it's not centered. Also I don't know if it's a consideration, but my living room ceiling fan is light colored, like my ceiling is (no lights)...it tries to be as unobtrusive as possible..

Ceiling fans in the decorating world are considered gauche, lol.

I like ceiling fans. So I guess I'm just not up to date on decorating. The decorating gurus must not ever get hot.

im even thinking about putting one in my master bath.

CP, I have an outlet going there just in case. :)

Penny, are you saying that you dislike it and wish it were center of the room?

Red, I guess I am the type to exit stage left when design interrupts functionality far too much. Similar to design interrupting energy efficiency far too much. In another thread I have going, discussion on recessed and surface mount lighting...quite the can of worms but something that should be fully discussed!

If I have the ceiling fan centered in room or with the coffee table and fireplace then what should the ceiling light layout be? A square (4) a Rectangle (6) an L following the seating (5 total, one shared in the corner of seating joint)? Or a square (4) with wall sconces (2-4) along the seating walls? So. Many. Options. I just want the best one.

Where is your furniture going? I see a plan above, but I also see sliding doors in the floorplan a couple posts back....

Why is there a coat closet in that room?

Penny, my plan is the first image. The other is CP showing a different floor plan. This is the living room, front door is right next to coat closet.

Oh okay. Sorry.

I can only speak from my own experience...but I have very high ceilings....I would want it centered over the fireplace and the cans equidistant. You most likely won't use them anyway.

I might have a very noticable light over the front door entry to draw my eye over there and visually fool a little.

I would not use a ceiling fan over my head while watching TV. It will be annoying to have any force of air blowing on you while sitting for any length of time.

We built our home in Georgia with ceiling fans in every room, including master bath, kitchen and laundry room. Heavenly year round. I highly recommend but not the trend I know. I vote for centering fan over seating area.

I have this situation, but it is more pronounced than yours, and the fan looks dumb centered in the room and not the fireplace where the focus is. (Just my humble opinion and experience!) And I am actually on here looking for options to make it look more normal without cutting up ceilings.

Center the fan and just do 4 can lights, spaced in a square equally off the fan - smaller cans if possible. Then enhance the lighting with a layer of floor or table lamps (they are much nicer for reading by).

We just lived this question and I'm here so you avoid our mistake. We had our house drawn with six recessed lights and a ceiling fan over the living area, however we re-did the ceiling plan to center about the room rather than the seating area. We changed the location of the lights and the fan in plan. Well it's built now and it's obvious we should have centered the fan about the seating area. Live and learn...we can always move the fan, but a shame that we have all all those cans cut into our ceiling.

Super helpful conversation everyone! We're deciding between centered and off-center for a slightly different reason... we're off grid and the room in question has some large passive solar gain windows and also that's the part of the room with the highest ceiling area. Our primary use for the ceiling fan is to circulate that heated air back down into the living space in winter. We're not going to have much if any use for summer cooling (I'm writing this on April 27 and just yesterday they were enforcing snow chains on the main road to our place!) I also don't like the sensation of air blown at me by a ceiling fan because it dries out my contact lenses. So the whole purpose of the ceiling fan, really, is just for winter circulation of warm air. In that case, would people agree that we should put the ceiling fan as high up the sloped ceiling as we can and as close to the area of hot air, even though that means it won't be centered in the room? That same area will also be an "area" in terms of space layout because it's where our guests who like to be warm will likely congregate. Thanks!

HU-494769015 - Start a new thread, Hon. <3 That way, folks won't be distracted by the original poster's information and question. :-D

Pick a username, too, so you're more than just a number. ;-) Welcome to the forums!