Swizz Style’s Otto, a modern fan for modern fans

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When will I ever learn? Every May, when the first heat wave arrives, I put ‘install AC’ on the to-do list. By the time September rolls around, I not only have heat rash but also am suffering from UFS (Unsightly Fan Syndrome). Now, at least, there is a handsome option for circulating all the hot air that collects in my house.

The Otto by Swiss designer Carlo Borer has a swank ring frame made from sapele, a mahogany-like wood from Africa. The cool, contemporary styling of the fan, which weighs just under 10 pounds, conceals the industrial parts and reminds me of Jasper Startup’s wicker-basket-enclosed Wind fan from Gervasoni. (That design is difficult to lay hands on in the U.S. Try contacting I Moderni for retailers.)

The Otto is $199.99, shipping included, from Swizz Style.

-- David A. Keeps