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Now is the time to buy Casablanca, Fanimation, and Emerson Ceiling Fans! Start Saving Now!


Casablanca Hampshire Ceiling Fan, Gallery Edition

The handsome Hampshire ceiling fan combines meticulous engineering with a handcrafted design that serves as a perfect accent for a traditional wood-paneled library, study, or den.




PRICE: $464.00




Minka Aire Shangri-La Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan


Bring on the tropical dreams and cool performance of the Shangri-La ceiling fan. The wicker design couples with Vintage Rust to replicate a highly popular tropical or plantation motif. Even better, this fan is UL rated for all-weather conditions


PRICE: $399.95






Fanimation Windpointe Complete Fan, Rust & Wood


The Windpointe Collection brings together the best of Fanimation at unbeatable prices. Each Windpointe Fan includes the motor housing, fan blades as seen, and necessary hardware and canopy


PRICE: $329.00




Kichler Lighting Novella Ceiling Fan

Shown in Antique Leather finish with Distressed Walnut blades. With an Antique Leather(TM) finish, this fan is a wonderful addition to the Kichler Novella(TM) Collection. The 5, 52" blades are pitched 14 degrees and are reversible with Walnut and Distressed Walnut finishes.


PRICE: $254.40




Emerson Classic Palazzo Ceiling Fan

The Emerson Fan Collection includes some designs that just radiate European classic design, steeped in the luxury of the ages. The Palazzo Ceiling Fan is one such design, which it is why this fan is a customer favorite.


PRICE: $359.10






Emerson Peristyle Ceiling Fan in Golden Espresso

The Peristyle Ceiling Fan by Emerson has an exciting design with a contemporary feel. Its unique blade holder design has architectural influences and the downlight provides ample light for most rooms.


PRICE: $359.10




Fanimation Sandella Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan

The Sandella is UL Damp-Location approved (in most finishes) and is available in a wide variety of blade, finish, and lighting options to complement any decorating style. This fan is shown in Rust finish with Carved Wood Narrow Oval Blades in the Sambel Sand Finish



PRICE: $659.00






















How to find us:

Our retail store is located at Gibson Mill in downtown Concord NC. Gibson Mill is a 100-year old textile plant with a rich history, and we are proud to be associated with the redvitalization of this important architectural and industrial landmark. This new location allows us to showcase a great selection of top quality items for your home from all of our furniture and lighting suppliers. When you enter our new store, we hope you will feel like you are entering a new world of decorating and design possibilities, with our unique blend of furniture, high-end lighting, kitchen accents, and local art. We feature furniture from such outstanding lines as Century, Lexington, Charleston Forge, Palecek, Wesley Allen and many additional brand names, as well as huge collections of lighting, kitchen accents and more.




Store Information:

Carolina Rustica

Gibson Mill

325 McGill Avenue, Suite 175

Concord, NC 28027

Call 800-205-7819 or 704-788-3952

Retail Store and Office Hours:

• Monday - Friday 8:30 am to 6:30 pm EST

• Saturday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm EST

• Closed Sundays

• We are closed on all national holidays.

Please call ahead if you are looking for a specific item




Directions from the North and East:

From I-77: Take the exit for Rt 73/Davidson Highway and head east on that road, crossing over I-85 (see further directions below)

From I-85: Take Exit on 55 for Rte 73/Davidson Highway from I-85 and head east on 73, towards Concord center and Rt 29. You will go about 2 miles until the intersection of Rt. 29, Concord Parkway. Take a right (south) onto 29 and proceed another mile to the intersection of Poplar Tent and 29. Take a left at the light onto McGill Ave.(Poplar Tent Road becomes McGill on the other side of 29). We are 1/2 mile down the road on the right, look for the huge brick mill and we are there on the ground floor.

Directions from the South:

From I-85, heading north, take Exit 52 to Poplar Tent Road. Head east on Poplar Tent (take a right off the exit) for exactly 5 miles. You will arrive at the intersection of Poplar Tent/Rt. 29. Poplar Tent actually becomes McGill after that intersection, so proceed straight through. We are 1/2 mile down the road on the right, look for the huge brick mill and we are there on the ground floor.

Directions coming from the West:

Your best bet is to take I-485 from I-74 (Independence) or 24/27 and head north on I-485 until it intersects with Rt. 29. Head north on Rt. 29 to Concord, passing Lowes Motor Speedway on your right. Proceed another 6 miles to the intersection of Poplar Tent and 29. Take a right at the light onto McGill Ave. (Poplar Tent Road becomes McGill on the other side of 29). We are 1/2 mile down the road on the right, look for the huge brick mill and we are there on the ground floor


Click here for more information on how to find us.








Although ceiling fans do use electricity to operate, experts say the amount of money homeowners can save on air conditioning with a fan greatly outweighs the cost of running the fan itself. The cost of operating a ceiling fan varies based on how often they're turned on and how much the electric company charges, but on average, a standard ceiling fan costs less to operate than an incandescent light bulb.


Ceiling fan savings are generated year-round. In the summer, fans circulate the air in the room, preventing hot air from accumulating at the ceiling. Ceiling fans helps equalize the temperature throughout the room, and a fan can cut air conditioning bills by as much as 40%. This is because most fans make it feel like it's about 6 degrees cooler in the home than it actually is. Homeowners can save 7 to 10 percent of their cooling costs for each degree above 78.

In winter, it can move heat trapped near the ceiling back into the living area, reducing heating costs by up to 10%. Changing the direction of the fan forces the air up toward the ceiling, and that helps re-distribute the heated air. This works particularly well in rooms with high or vaulted ceilings. This is one of the greatest attributes of ceiling fans: they are practical in both hot and cold weather




Copyright © 2009 Carolina Rustica

Phone: 800-205-7819




Encouragingly, all the work we have been doing at Carolina Rustica with increased advertising seems to be working. Being a 14 year veteran of independent retail, I am extremelysuperstitious about saying things are going better. But we have definitely been busier these last three months, and Saturday was one of our strongest days ever. That is due mostly to theLexington Memorial Weekend Sale, which is a real sale because Lexington only authorizes sales twice a year. There is a lot of pent-up demand for the wonderful collections within Lexington, particularly the Tommy Bahama Collection, our best-selling group for our entire store. The phones did not stop ringing all day long. Today, on Memorial Day Monday, it was quieter but still steady. The sale ends on Wednesday and I am curious to see how it brings us along relative to last year. I have been reviewing my Twitter posts and certainly by my daily comments we are definitely busier day by day. We are all happy that Jessica G. will be returning to us in Customer Service/Purchasing. Jessica worked for CR for two years, and is now coming back to the fold (next week).

Remember that you should be buying your ceiling fans NOW before it gets too hot. There is no better way to save on air conditioning expenses, and with the new government requirements comparing fan efficincies, you can shop for the fan best suited to your design needs and target energy consumption. Take a look at the Casablanca Panama Ceiling Fan for an example (our best-selling fan) The chart shown on the product page gives a good idea of how the air flow efficiencies create a standard measurement for comparison

ENERGY INFORMATION
AT HIGH SPEED
Airflow

6226

Cubic Feet Per Minute
Electricity Use

108

Watts (excludes lights)
Airflow

57.6

Cubic Feet Per Minute
Compare: 49in. to 60in. ceiling fans have airflow efficiencies ranging from approximately 51 to 176 cubic feet per minute per watt at high speed.


Weekend at the Beach

Last Saturday I took the family to the Little River Blue Crab Festival. What a great event! Little River (SC) is only 25 minutes south of where we stay in Sunset Beach…this is a huge festival with bands, tons of seafood, kids rides and lots of vendor booths selling pretty much anything. We met our friends Steve and Gloria there (Steve is a rep for some important lighting lines that Carolina Rustica sells, such as Golden Lighting, Designers Fountain, and Access Lighting (coming soon!). He is a great guy and a former lighting retailer himself, and he lives in nearby N. Myrtle Beach.

The kids enjoyed a few rides, particularly the bouncing-sling which lets you leap 20 feet up into the air. We had fun mingling with the crowds, which consisted of tourists, bikers, locals, and lots of other types of folks. Cheryl and I enjoyed the best crab sandwiches we have ever had, with a side of fried oysters. Yum! We will be back…maybe Carolina Rustica will sponsor a booth. I’m sure we could find something that would sell at this event, like some of our best-selling Iron Artistica home accent items.

A Timeless Article on Ceiling Fans

This is an older article (3 years old, to be exact) from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. We have reprinted it here (after asking permission several hundred times, but not getting anywhere), but it is such a great guide and still very relevant. The fact that we carry all of the fan lines they mention is just a bonus!

A Breath of Fresh Air; Take These Fan-tastic Features for a Whirl
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jun 11, 2006 by JOANNE KEMPINGER DEMSKI (permission requested)

These days, it's a breeze to find the perfect ceiling fan. They come with blades covered with cloth, hand carved into leaf shapes, made of saw grass and wicker even double-deckered to look like the wings of a bi-plane. Some have elegant, crystal-like or etched glass and lots of ornate detail. Others are simply styled, made of brushed nickel and aluminum. Some even have an industrial look to them. At this time of year, as temperatures rise and houses often get stuffy, many people are thinking about buying ceiling fans. Brian Sponsler, vice president and general manager of Emerson Ceiling Fans in St. Louis, calls ceiling fans the "hottest accessory in home fashion" that can be a "reflection of the homeowner's personality." (Emerson Origami Fan shown at left) His firm has been making ceiling fans since 1895, and has more than 150 models. "They are a statement of style, no longer just a functional element," he says. "At first, they were just round with paddles, and people put them on the ceiling and perhaps wanted them to fade away into the ceiling. But that's not the case anymore." Fans are so elegant and distinctive today, they could take the place of a chandelier, he says. Marsi Black, owner of Pegasus Design Group, calls the ceiling fan of today "a design element" and says you can mix and match the fan's blades and fixtures to create an original look. Black is an interior designer with offices in Chenequa and Milwaukee who decorates homes for Kings Way, Kettle Creek and other builders.

Height matters
When choosing a fan, Black says, look at the height of the ceiling. "That's a big consideration. Then figure out if you need a fan only or a fan with a light. What's the purpose of having the fan? What function does it serve?" Black says homes with high ceilings require fans with extension rods. "You want to get the fan down a little bit so that it functions well. It needs to have clearance to move air around. You don't want it to hug the ceiling. That would look odd." When it comes to size, just about any room can use a 54-inch fan. In rooms that are really large, more than one fan in the same style can be used, she adds. (The Fanimation Palisade Fan is shown at right) "That's a really elegant look. It really enhances the room and adds drama, but it's also functional." Whether you add a light to your ceiling fan depends on the other lighting in the room. Usually you only put lighting in the fan when it is the main source of light when you enter the room. Most of the time we feel that a fan should not have a light in it. It should function on its own as a useful ceiling sculpture," she says. If a light is needed, Black says popular styles are dome lights and so-called up-lighting that shines on the ceiling. Up-lighting can be a good choice because it gives "a soft look and is a nice way to light up a room when you walk in. It's also good if you want to show off a ceiling perhaps one that is textured or colored in some way, or when there is a ceiling medallion.

Variety of styles
Buyers should look at the general architecture of the house when picking a fan, she says. "If you have a more rustic or casual house, you want to try to choose a fan that reflects that. It might have a beautiful metal patina that gives it a little bit of surface interest." Black has three fans in her Historic Third Ward loft. "I have 12- foot ceilings and there are mechanicals up there so you can see how the fan would be useful. The one I have is by Fanimation (http://www.fanimation.com/) and has woven palm blades. My house is pretty contemporary." Hank Albert, owner of BBC Lighting & Supply, 2015 W. St. Paul Ave. , recommends using full-size fans for most rooms. "A 10-by-13 or 10-by-10-foot room can take a 52-inch fan. I have a small kitchen nook and it has a full-size fan in it. The room has an eating area, and it's a smaller space, but the bigger fan looks fine." (The Fanimation Volare Fan is shown at right) The only time a buyer should go to a smaller fan, he says, is when there are size restrictions in a room, such as cabinets that jut out in a small kitchen or a narrow hallway space. Then, a 24- inch fan works well. (Fan sizes are measured by the diameter of the blades.) Albert, who has been in business since 1979 and has more than 150 fans on display at his store, says the pitch of the blades is an important consideration when choosing a fan. The more pitch you have, the better the air circulation. A fan that has more pitch will also have a better motor because a weak motor couldn't handle the resistance. A good example is a 24-inch turbo fan. "It has a very huge blade pitch, which forces a lot of air," he says. Albert says lower-end fans might have an 11-degree pitch and the highest-end fans a 20-degree pitch. "A 20-degree pitch is exceptionally high," he says. A 13- to 15- degree pitch is usually sufficient. You'll get a big blast of air from a fan with a 15-degree pitch set on full speed," he says. "I never turn them on full speed if they have a 15-degree pitch." A higher-pitched fan can cool sufficiently even on a slower speed, which helps save money.

Styles and prices
Some of today's most popular fans, the Maui Bay and a line of Tommy Bahama fans, are made by Emerson. "They look like island fans," Albert says. "The styles are outstanding." (The Tommy Bahama Marine Fan is shown at right) As for prices, he estimates that ceiling fans can range from around $39.95 to $1,000. For those who would rather have a fan that is sleek in style, there are lots of options. Ron Rezek, founder of The Modern Fan Co. in Ashland , Ore. , formed his company in 1997 "to give the contemporary architect an alternative." He describes his fans as sleek metal sculptures and says they work in contemporary or traditional homes. Many have lights integrated into the design or can be added. Rezek likes the sleek look because he says most other fans are too complex in terms of parts. "Most ceiling fans on the market are copies of antiques or at least influenced by them. They have lots of brass and ornate glass. The ceiling fan was invented in the 1890s and everything was ornamented," he says. "A ceiling fan that is simple works OK in any environment. It disappears." Fans in his line range from $290 to around $500. His top seller is called the Ball fan. "It's almost a sphere. I think people like that one best because it's the most basic of the designs," he says. (The Casablanca Mission Fan is shown at right)

Indoors and out
Linda Bishop, owner of Elektra Lights & Fans Inc., 7222 W. North Ave. , Wauwatosa , says outdoor fans also are gaining in popularity. They have been around for about 20 years, she says, but until the last few years have been casual and generic looking. "Now some of the new fans are so nice looking that I use them a lot inside, too," she says. These fans can be used in gazebos, open porches and areas where water could hit them. "The motors are completely sealed so water and moisture aren't going to hurt the motor, and the blades are usually made out of elements that are water resistant." Bishop has been in the lighting business for about 30 years. She recently installed three outdoor fans over a very large indoor swimming pool, she says. "The tropical-style fans not only enhance the space but also to help circulate the air," she says. In addition to circulating moist or warm air and providing a comfortable breeze, outdoor fans are also great for keeping bugs at bay, Bishop adds. At Hampton Bay , an East Coast firm that has manufactured fans for 20 years, the new Aero Breeze Blade Technology Series was designed to save energy by increasing air flow 40% more than standard ceiling fans. According to information from the firm, this can save homeowners up to 40% on home energy costs in both summer and winter. In summer, fans draw the cooler air upward, thereby creating a soft, refreshing breeze. In winter, when the fan's direction is reversed, it also saves money because it forces warm air that is trapped near the ceiling downward.

Buying the best for you
Wondering what size ceiling fan to buy? Emerson Ceiling Fans provides this information:
-- 29-inch fans are for bathrooms, hallways or rooms up to 50 square feet.
-- 36-inch fans are good in breakfast nooks or rooms up to 75 square feet.
-- 42-inch fans are a good choice for small bedrooms and kitchens or rooms up to 100 square feet.
-- 50- or 52-inch fans work well in standard-size bedrooms, family rooms or rooms up to 400 square feet.
-- 54-inch fans or larger can go in great rooms or other areas that are more than 400 square feet.

Tips for drawing the most benefits from fans
Here are ceiling fan basics from Hank Albert, owner of BBC Lighting & Supply, 2015 W. St. Paul Ave.
-- In summer, run your fan counterclockwise to draw cooler air up. In winter, run it clockwise to push warm air down.
-- Fans range in size from 24 to more than 60 inches. Most have three speeds that go forward and in reverse.
-- Fans come with three to five blades, but the number of blades doesn't make a difference when it comes to efficient air flow.
-- Fans come with short down rods, unless you buy a fan that is meant to hug the ceiling. A short rod is better than no rod, as your fan will operate more efficiently because it can create airflow.
-- Rods are available at up to six feet, but it's generally best not to use more than a 4-foot down rod as your fan may wobble.
-- Many fans can be installed on sloped ceilings, but a special bracket is required.
-- Most fans can be used with lights and some come with their own.
-- For rooms with very high ceilings, the bottom of the fan can be 10 to 11 feet from the floor. If the room is very large, you can go up to 12 feet.
-- The lower your ceiling fan is, the more effective it will be at pushing air down. If there is no space above it, there is no air to pull down.
-- When building a home, inform builders in advance so the correct wiring can be done for fans.
-- Remote controls are available for some models.

The High Point Marathon

Last year was the inaugural run of the North Carolina Marathon, run in Greensboro. It was a great run, well organized and well attended for a first effort. This year, they staged it in High Point, which was a stroke of genius because High Point is totally geared up for thousands of visitors anyway because of the furniture market. It was scheduled for the day after the High Point Internationa Furniture Market officially ended, but continued the excitement and got some good press. I thought it would be a great opportunity to put a team together and get sponsored by one of our furniture suppliers. So I emailed a bunch of my running buddies and got a team of five guys together, including myself. I then sent out my sponsorship proposal to a three of our largest or most preferred furniture and lighting suppliers.
My pitch was this: We would all wear team jerseys with the suppliers logo on it, and being in the center of High Point, running as a team, we would be very noticeable. It would be a great form of guerilla marketing. I was delighted when Currey and Company, one of our absolute favorite suppliers, stepped up to the plate and agreed to support the team. Team members included Ted (Frank), whom I run with almost every weekend, Bobby Christansen, Ron Hall, and a surprise fourth member, Ultra-runner extraordinaire Charlie Engle. Charlie is best known for his epic run across the Sahara Desert last year, documented in the newly released film "Running the Sahara". It was an honor to have him on the team, and we sent out a press release announcing the team and our sponsorship.
Race Day, May 2, came up quickly, and Ted and I drove up (we had to leave at 4 am) to meet the guys, get registered, and get some pictures taken. Unfortunately, I was not going to run because of an injury, but it would be fun crewing for the team and watching everyone run.
Sonny Koontz, CEO of Currey and a great guy with loads of furniture industry experience, showed up that morning too and got to meet his team. He is shown here at left, with myself, Ted, and Ron. We are all wearing our snazzy singlets I had made, with the Currey logo. I did not feel it was appropriate to promote Carolina Rustica, since we weren't paying for anything. Next year, however, I will sponsor a team. In any case, it was beautiful we, boding well for the race, and the High Point organization did an outstanding job of organizing the race (both before and after).
The race itself weaved through the center of High Point, passing all of the showrooms, and then up in a northerly direction across one of the lakes. I was able to follow our team pretty well, parking every 5 to 8 miles and running with the guys for a little bit. It was actually a lot of fun crewing for the team. At mile 19, it had gotten pretty humid, and a light rain began falling, offering a cool reprieve.
What I have not mentioned is that Charlie and Bobby were actually on their second marathon
of the day. They are ultra runners, and had started their first loop of the 26-mile course at 2 or 3 am. And amazingly, they both looked great, even at mile 46 (mile 20 for the rest of the mortals). I ran in with Ted from mile 23 on, and could sympathize with how he was feeling at that point, being a veteran of over 50 marathons or ultras myself.
The race finish was exciting, full of music and cheers, with lots of great crowd and race support.
Our Currey and Co. team looked pretty impressive (if I may say so) when we gathered at the finish. We were the only ones in team shirts, but I'm willing to be we may see more of that next year. There was plenty of food afterwards, and I talked to lots of folks I have met from previous races. I drove back with Ted in the early afternoon and then got changed and took Claire to her Bethel Elementary "Fun Day". It was hot and I was exhausted, but she enjoyed the inflatable rides, and it was for the PTO after all.
My hat off to the race organizers and the city of High Point for an outstanding job, and thank-you to Currey and Company for sponsorship of our team!

Hubbardton Forge on "How Its Made", Tonight!

Its always exciting when one of our favorite suppliers gets some good coverage. Hubbardton Forge sent out this press release:

HUBBARDTON FORGE TO BE FEATURED
ON HOW IT’S MADE

FRIDAY, MAY 1ST, 2009
9:30PM ET
ON THE SCIENCE CHANNEL
Hubbardton Forge is pleased to announce that the start-to-finish creation process of one of their iconic forged chandeliers will be featured on the Science Channel’s popular
documentary series How It’s Made. The show’s debut will be Friday, May 1st, 2009, 9:30 pm ET. The episode is titled “Season 6 Episode 2.” Additional air times can be found in local listings.
Hubbardton Forge is a Vermont-based manufacturer and marketer of high-end hand-forged lighting products and accessories sold predominately through residential and
home furnishings retailers as well as contract distributors.
(p.s. That would be us, Carolina Rustica!)