The Great Pot Filler and Living Room Ceiling Fan Debates
Design elements often stir up passionate debates, and few topics are as polarizing as pot fillers in the kitchen and ceiling fans in the living room. While some homeowners see these features as non-negotiable necessities, others view them as potential eyesores.
We asked our design team at Drury Design to weigh in on these two hotly contested design elements. As professionals in the industry, they’re ready to work with you and walk you through all the pros and cons of pot fillers in the kitchen and ceiling fans in a living room. But, would they want them in their own dream homes? We tried to pin them down for answers.
Let’s see how the votes stack up…
Keri Rogers, Assistant Designer
- Pot Fillers: “I’m for them. I’m a small person. We make soup all the time so we’re filling up stock pots all the time. It’d be nice if it were easier to do. I wish I had one in my kitchen, but I don’t. Being able to fill up a heavy pot right there at the stove instead of walking it across the kitchen would be amazing. So, I’m thumbs up on pot fillers.”
- Ceiling Fans: “I don’t have a ceiling fan in my living room but I need one. I’m going to get a fandelier. It depends on your ceiling height, really. If you have a taller ceiling, I’m totally for it.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 1 No – 0
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 1 No – 0
Counter-mounted pot fillers allow you to preserve the uninterupted look of a backsplash
Gladys Schanstra, Owner / Creative Director
- Pot Fillers: “I’m ultimately for them. If you make a lot of soups and pastas, and you love your 20-cup pot, it’s very convenient to have a pot filler. Sometimes I’ll put a very small sink near the pot filler and the cooking area to make sure the entire prep process is easier. That’s more plumbing, but clients who want it are okay with that. Aesthetically, pot fillers can be cool looking, and depending on your finish, they can add visual interest. But a good-quality pot filler is a must – they can get loose and need tightening over time.”
- Ceiling Fans: “Six months to a year ago I would’ve said ‘no’ on living room ceiling fans. That was my stance for a long time, but I changed my mind when they started coming out with nicer ones. I love the new fandeliers – they look like chandeliers until you turn on the fan and the blades pop out! If the fan you want is pretty, then why not have it in the living room?”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 2 No – 0
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 2 No – 0
- Pot Fillers: “It’s situational. If a client has one sink and it’s not near the range, then I think it’d be super convenient. I like how they look, but sometimes I think they’re distracting if it’s a full-height splash.”
- Ceiling Fans: “I don’t have a problem with them. I’m a hot body person, so I would love a fan if I’m sitting and watching TV. But the ceiling height has to be high enough.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 2.5 No – .5 (We’re letting Lauren getting away with this)
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 3 No – 0
Pot fillers can streamline your workflow when making broths, soups and pasta.
- Pot Fillers: “Heck no. They’re ugly. I want to see a beautiful backsplash behind a cooktop. I don’t want to see a pot filler there. A backsplash is a wonderful opportunity for a focal point, and a pot filler can disrupt that.”
- Ceiling Fans: “I’ll argue there’s a distinction to be made here – there’s a difference between a family room and the living room. A living room is typically more formal, so no ceiling fans there. But in a family room where you need circulation, I’d say yes, but only with additional decorative lighting to complement it.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 2.5 No – 1.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 3 No – 1
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 1 No – 0
Samantha Schoell, Senior Designer
- Pot Fillers: “Absolutely not. I don’t think they actually get used as much as people think they get used. The water that ends up in your pot is the water that’s been sitting in the pipes in your walls. In some homes, that water might be icky. So, I am not a pot filler fan.”
- Ceiling Fans: “I don’t think they’re necessary. I have a ceiling fan in my living room now, but I don’t actually turn it on. I prefer windows for air circulation. Ceiling fans just collect dust.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 2.5 No – 2.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 3 No – 2
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 1 No – 0
Pot fillers come in a variety of looks and finishes to complement any style of kitchen.
Karla Mendoza, Assistant Designer
- Pot Fillers: “No. That’s not necessary for me.”
- Ceiling Fans: “Yes. I actually like that idea in the living room or the family room. I like them when I sleep, too. I just feel better with a ceiling fan.”
Karla Mendoza, Assistant Designer
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 2.5 No – 3.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 4 No – 2
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 3 No – 0
Kailey Trostle, Assistant Designer
- Pot Fillers: “No, I’ve never wanted one. I’ve never thought, ‘Oh, this would be better if I had a pot filler.’ I think if you’ve got a really pretty backsplash behind your cooktop, a pot filler can distract from it.”
- Ceiling Fans: “Formal living room space, absolutely not, but a family room, I think they’re okay. It’s just a more casual situation.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 2.5 No – 4.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 4 No – 3
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 4 No – 0
Hamza Shahin, Assistant Designer
- Pot Fillers: “They’re great. I would want one, 100%. I don’t want to deal with carrying a pot filled with water from the sink to the oven. Especially if you make broth a lot and use huge stock pots.”
- Ceiling Fans: “If it’s a fun living room ceiling fan, like a fandelier, I guess so. Why not? I wouldn’t go out of my way to look for one for a living room though. I don’t really care for them, really.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 3.5 No – 4.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 4.5 No – 3.5 (we’re letting Hamza ride the fence, too)
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 4 No – 0
Ceiling fans are excellent for distributing warmth from fireplaces.
Amanda Duran, Sr. Assistant Designer
- Pot Fillers: “Yes. I like them. It’s so much more convenient to have the water right at the stove instead of carrying a big pot of water. Those pots can be heavy. I have small children who are tripping hazards. I like the idea of water and cooktops all in one spot.”
- Ceiling Fans: “Yes on living room ceiling fans. I don’t actually like the look of a living room ceiling fan, so I want to say no, really. But I work remotely… I’m in Texas and it is incredibly hot in the summer. We use our living room ceiling fan often.”
Amanda Duran, Sr. Assistant Designer
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 4.5 No – 4.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 5 No – 4 (Another toss up response! The judges will allow Amanda’s compromise!)
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 4 No – 0
When choosing a pot filler, consider models with a safety shut-off valve at the wall.
Emily Kreber, Designer – City Design (Drury Design’s branch in Des Moines)
- Pot Fillers: “I love pot fillers just because of the convenience. I love pasta and my sink is pretty far away from my stove. That’s a long trek when you’re carrying a big pot of water.”
- Ceiling Fans: “No. I just took my living room ceiling fan out! Living rooms are more formal, so me personally, I’d prefer a really beautiful, bold fixture in that space.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 5.5 No – 4.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 5 No – 5
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 4 No – 0
Olivia Karlen, Assistant Designer – City Design (Drury Design’s branch in Des Moines)
- Pot Fillers: “No, I will not be putting one in my dream home. I doubt if I’d end up using it as much as I might think I would. In my dream home, I’d want the tile to stand out more than the fixture.”
- Ceiling Fans: “No. I just hate the look of a living room ceiling fan. Sure, they’re practical, but they’re not very pretty most of the time. I say no.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 5.5 No – 5.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 5 No – 6
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 4 No – 0
Basia Kozub, Design Coordinator
- Pot Fillers: “No. I’m not a fan. You still lift the pot when you take it off the stove. Getting a pot filler just so you don’t have to lift it full of water to the stove isn’t that big of a deal for me, considering the fact that a pot filler can be an eyesore.”
- Ceiling Fans: “I like ceiling fans in the living room or the family room because they do a job. They circulate the air. I’m not a big fan of AC so I like the way ceiling fans help me manage the air when needed.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 6.5 No – 6.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 7 No – 6
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 5 No – 0
Ceiling fans, often avoided in formal spaces, are practical for family and game rooms to enhance air circulation.
Rick Windgassen, VP Operations
- Pot Fillers: “Pot fillers can be problematic. They can leak. Some of the smarter manufacturers make them with two shutoff valves, which is great, but I’ve seen plenty with just one, which can be risky. From an aesthetics standpoint, they can droop over time, which customers don’t like. Personally, in my dream house? No, I would not have a pot filler.”
- “Another big consideration – do you run hot water to them? Remember, even if you run hot water to a pot filler, you might have to fill up a pot’s worth of water before that water is warm. In that situation you might end up walking the pot to the sink to dump it and then back again, which raises the question, ‘why bother?’ That’s why we have a lot of customers who just want cold water in their pot fillers.”
- Ceiling Fans: “If you’re gonna have one, you need to consider the lighting in the room. Ceiling fans can cause a strobe effect with lights, which can be annoying. But I do like ceiling fans in living rooms and family rooms – they move air around effectively, especially in rooms with fireplaces or wood-burning stoves. Just design the room right, and they can be great.”
SCOREBOARD:
Pot Fillers: Yes – 6.5 No – 7.5
Living Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 8 No – 6
Family Room Ceiling Fans: Yes – 5 No – 0
Final Thoughts? Custom Designs for Every Taste
As you can see, the team members at Drury Design have their own unique takes on pot fillers and ceiling fans, but one thing remains consistent: our commitment to tailoring each design to our clients’ preferences.
Whether you’re team pot filler or team ceiling fan, we’re here to bring your vision to life. After all, in the end, it’s all about creating a space that feels just right for you.