Charlotte Huntervention™ refreshes farmhouse patio

Hunter Industrial Designer, Claire McRoberts, had the opportunity to lead our latest Huntervention™ in Charlotte, NC, which also happens to be her hometown.

Read along as she shares her heartwarming Huntervention experience with the Sanchez family. Being from the Charlotte area, it was fun to be able to come back home for such an exciting reason: a hometown Huntervention! I had the opportunity to meet Gabriel and his parents last November when they came for a tour of our corporate office. Hunter ceiling fans are Gabriel’s most favorite thing in the world, and his parents wanted to do something big for his 16th birthday. They drove all the way from Charlotte to Memphis and we gave them a tour of the design studio. During the tour, Gabriel’s mom, Bethany, shared that he’s been staring at ceiling fans since he was a toddler. When he played with Legos, he’d make ceiling fans; and whenever they need a new fan they know to go to their son for recommendations. A year later, we were pleasantly surprised when the front porch we chose to redesign for our latest Huntervention™ happened to be for Gabriel’s family’s home.

Choosing a ceiling fan

Bethany loves modern traditional décor, so we wanted to give the family porch an updated farmhouse look. I chose the Mill Valley farmhouse ceiling fan because it’s a revitalized vintage design; it’s a nostalgic look that’s reminiscent of old barn style lighting, but features current lines and technology.

Ceiling fans provide modern farmhouse inspiration

It ended up being everything I’d hoped for in this space! The red on the fan really creates a statement; you notice it from the street and it sets the tone for the entire home’s curb appeal. The other reason I chose the Mill Valley is because it’s an outdoor rated ceiling fan. That means it can withstand the North Carolina heat and humidity; it’s designed to not have blade droop or rusted finishes because of the elements.

A ceiling fan in a space is particularly important: You see a lot of things low to the ground, but to really round out a space - artistically speaking - you want to keep your eye moving around the room, which means you have to look up at some point. To create balance and movement in this space, I added a handful of red accents. Everything else was neutral.

Creating the updated farmhouse design

The grey gingham pillows and grey end tables complimented Bethany’s dark grey shutters and also captured that farmhouse feel without being too country. The striped rugs added a modern feel, grounding the space. I went with white rockers, a white swing and painted the front door white to brighten the space and create contrast off the brick. The rocking chairs are another example – along with the Mill Valley – of modern farmhouse design. The spindle detailing is a traditional element while the lines on the back of the chair are clean and modernized. To feel comfortable in an outdoor space, you want it to feel like an extension of your home, and it’s easy to do that with textiles. Because their porch is so long, I added the outdoor rugs to help define the seating areas. And there are three seating areas!

The Huntervention reveal

That was another great thing about this space: We gave Gabriel not one but four Mill Valley ceiling fans! When we revealed the space to Gabriel he kept saying how excited he was. This experience was one of the most emotional moments of my life. As a ceiling fan designer, you don’t always consider that your designs will make a significant impact – other than helping make a home beautiful. My job takes on a lot more meaning knowing that when Hunter Fan Company releases new ceiling fan designs every year it gives Gabriel something to look forward to. Watching this family fall back in love with their home and their front porch was absolutely heartwarming.

Huntervention tour shows how ceiling fans transform spaces