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So, air purifers. I used to think I had no need for one, but after living on a busy London street for about 2 years, I saw enough dust and grime to make me believe otherwise. This purifier by Humanscale removes more than 99% of airborne particles and employs a silent, breeze-free and ozone-free operation. Those attributes combined with its smallish size (13″ W X 9″ D X 14″ H) hopefully means it would all but disappear when cleaning the air.

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Why yes, that is one Big Ass Fan. There’s no doubt in my mind it packs a punch in air circulation, because it’s huuuge. 12 feet diameter huge. While most of the pictures of these fans are shown in large retail spaces, I thought this shot of Wayne Coyne’s (of the Flaming Lips) living room really gives you the correct sense of proportion. Now, whether you need something this big or not is completely up to you, but if you’re curious to hear Wayne and his wife’s thoughts on how their Big Ass Fan is perfect (plus some images of their interesting home), see below or on youtube.

Shown above: Element Fan, approx. 12′ diameter
Backed by a 100%, non-prorated 10 year warranty.
Price available upon request.

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Hmm, you might want to consider the new ANDREA as a possible choice for an air filter for your home. It purifies the air by utilizing plants… sounds good, right? (If you have a green thumb, that is.)

Andrea is a revolutionary new air purifier engineered to significantly improve the air filtration capacity of natural plants. This living filter accelerates the removal of harmful VOC’s and toxins through the active infrastructure system of a plant to continuously clean and oxygenate the rooms in your home or office. Andrea naturally purifies air by drawing it in with a whisper quiet fan to propel it through the leaves and root system of a plant, then out through the water and soil filtration and back into the room. Works with any household plant. Ozone free operation. No replaceable filters.

Invented by designer Mathieu Lehanneur with David Edwards.
12.2 x 12.2 x 16.2 inches

Whoa, this baby is on sale for half of its regular price. Not too shabby if you’re in the market for an air purifier.

Slim and unobtrusive, Henry quietly purifies the air with its five-stage hepa/carbon filter which stops unwanted dust, pollen, odors, viruses, and bacteria. Includes an automatic shut-off function and filter indicator. Covers up to 250 sq. ft. Made of ABS and polypropylene plastic and a zinc base. Simple assembly required.

Matti Walker, 2006
Size: 50.5h x 7″diam.; Cord: 69″l
reg. $300.00

(No longer on sale.)

Yep, James Dyson is at it again. Leave it up to him to improve upon a fan by making it completely bladeless. That’s right, no blades. It instead amplifies and accelerates air (see below) so that it expels 118 gallons of smooth air every second. Very clever.

Air is drawn into the base of the machine. The air is forced up into the loop amplifier and accelerated through the annular aperture, creating a jet of air that hugs the airfoil-shaped ramp. While exiting the loop amplifier, the jet pulls air from behind the fan into the airflow. At the same time, the surrounding air from the front and sides of the machine are forced into the air stream, amplifying it 15 times. The result is a constant uninterrupted flow of cooling air. The Dyson Air Multiplier fan is powered by an energy efficient brushless motor and air speed can be precisely adjusted with a dimmer switch. No blades mean no need for a grill and it’s safe and simple to clean.

10″ Blue/Iron ($299.00), 10″ Silver/White ($299.00), or 12″ Silver/Iron ($329.99, shown)

Compared to the other air purifier we’ve posted, this one gets a thousand points for looking less like it came off a spaceship and more like something that would blend in to the background.

Enjoying a healthier lifestyle without sacrificing your sense of style may sometimes seem an impossible task when shopping for home appliances. Not to worry – you can now breathe a bit more easily with an air purifier that looks great while cleaning the air.

Cleans 25 square meters of space.
17″W x 5.25″L x 16″H

$299.00, Buy it here.

Here’s a mid-sized desktop fan that’ll help keep your work area cool (and cool-looking).

The Propello, by Black and Blum, is a desktop fan with user-friendly design features. Its soft, rubber blades and directional, adjustable airflow take the I’m-too-close fear out of personal fan comfort. When off, the Propello is so good looking, your cool look will always be admired.

Available in Blue or Grey.
Height 10.63 in., Diameter 10.24 in., Depth 7.09 in.

$140.00,

Buy it here.

Naoto Fukasawa is well known for his product design skills; now we can all rest easy knowing he’s taken care of the fan category.

Don’t be deceived by your first look at this fan as it’s not your average appliance. With a protective cage that wraps completely from front to back to protect the motor as well as the blades, along with an extra feature that allows you to put it on a timer, the design of the ordinary fan has been drastically updated. Though practicality rather than aesthetics were key to the design… there’s definitely something wonderfully sleek about the new look.

14.5″W x 10.75″L x 16.75″H

designboom has a good interview with Fukasawa here.

[posted by katie]

I have Version II of this Naoto Fukasawa humidifier and I love it.

“The goal of the Japanese design house Plusminuszero is to turn everyday objects into art… and, as anyone who lives in a dry climate knows, humidifiers aren’t exactly the most aesthetic object in your house. That’s all about to change with the Humidifier Version III. With its compact frame and beautifully smooth surfaces, it not only works perfectly to control the climate but actually looks great while doing its job.”

Herman Miller has a new space aged heating and cooling solution which uses a patented, energy-efficient thermal technology to deliver both heating and cooling from a single, compact unit which consumes 90% less energy than a typical space heater.

“The C2 not only improves your comfort level, it filters the air around you by intercepting particles of dust, pollen and dander as small as five microns.

And, because the C2 is not a space heater, it doesn’t contain any exposed heating coils, chemicals or harmful emissions. No filling with water or recharging is necessary, and the filter is removable for cleaning. The unit will shut itself off after four hours, as an added energy saver. UL listed and plugs into a standard 110v AC. The C2 Climate Control is a fully licensed product of Herman Miller®, Inc.”

[posted by kris]

Naoto Fukusawa is one of the few people I would call a design genius. His Aromatic Humidifier by Plus Minus Zero is a prime example of his work and is now on sale.

“Comes with an aroma pot for you to add your favorite essential oil, so that the air in the room can not only be moisturized, but also scented with soothing aroma.”

A friend of mine was telling me that I should get a humidifier because it really improves your skin condition, especially in the winter months. Having never owned one, I can’t testify to this, but I thought I should at least find one that doesn’t look like a server. And here it is!

Available in five great colors: white, green, light blue, orange, blue gray

“This humidifier is from Japanese design house ±0; their intent is to turn everyday objects into art. This humidifier comes in five colors, operates for 8 hours between refills. When the humidity reaches 60%, it automatically stops. It measures 12.0 inches in diameter and 6.1 inches high.”

No matter what you’ve thought of air purifiers before, you’re sure to admit this one is relatively nice-looking. It seems to have excellent marks in doing the job, and plus, aren’t you curious to see what’s in the air of your home (causing allergies, health issues, etc.)?

“Removing all aspects of nerd-factor, the IonFlow 50F Air Purifier is an energy-efficient and quiet machine that’s been proven to remove more than 99% of airborne pollutants in fewer than five hours and without producing any ozone…As a room is cleared of dust, smoke, pet dander, bacteria, mold and other allergens, these pollutants will collect on the outside of the unit’s aluminum ring. When you see it needs to be cleaned, turn off the unit and quickly wipe the ring clean.”

Aluminum; handmade acrylic stand.

H 26″ Diameter 7.5″

“The concept is to focus on the atmospheric tone created from the mist while adjusting the prominence of the chimney. It eliminates the dryness of winter air and produces warm atmosphere by enriching the surrounding sight and sense.”

It’s quite hard to find an unobtrusive ceiling fan, so that’s why it’s so nice to see this particular one. Ceiling fans are key in saving money on energy bills, so if you’re not utilizing fans in your main living areas, you might want to look into the idea. Several different finishes are available.

Downrods available in several different lengths to accomodate ceiling heights.

(Thanks Mark for the link…)