Put in fans without lights. Have the lights switched separately where you think you Would want a fan light.

I think the center light in the middle of the bedroom is nothing but glare. You may need to have a ceiling fixture for code but I usually try to get people to do a couple recessed cans toward the corners rather than a central light.

I'm not sure I understand why you are objecting to having ceiling fans "because they are so bright." Ceiling fans can be purchased with or without light kits. And, if you have to have a ceiling light fixture to meet code, every fan I've ever seen allows you to turn the fan on while leaving the light off and vise-versa. Plus there are loads and loads of different styles of light kits... many of which only use a single light bulb. There is nothing to stop you from using a very low wattage bulb. Bottom line is, the light from a ceiling fan light kit can be made as dim as you like... or left turned off completely.

Maybe all the ceiling fans you have ever seen had kits with 3 or 4 bulbs and the owners liked thing bright so they put 75 watt or 100 watt bulbs in them. But it doesn't have to be that way. Thus "brightness" is simply no reason not to get ceiling fans.

On the other hand, if you had said you just don't like the way ceiling fans look hanging up on the ceiling - well, that is a matter of taste and it is your home so you should have it the way you like.

If you don't hate the look of the fans themselves, then you might want to consider that, from an energy usage standpoint, ceiling fans ARE WONDERFUL in hot, humid areas. If you use them, they will save you tons of money on air conditioning.

We are in central Texas and our current house didn't have any ceiling fans when we bought it back in 1985. A few years later we found some Hunter fans on sale and decided to put one in our master-bedroom. Two days later we went back and bought fans for every room except the bathrooms. Our electricity bills immediately dropped by about 20%.

Those fans are still going strong nearly 20 years later and we use them all the time. In fact, I find it really difficult to sleep in a room without a ceiling fan anymore. Even when the room is cool enough, I often wake up feeling like I'm smothering in my own CO2 because there is nothing to stir the air around. LOL!

I'm sure your builder is thinking in terms of energy efficiency and maybe resale value. I personally would never buy again buy a home without ceiling fans...especially not in a hot humid area. But the bottom line is, it is YOUR home. Get it built the way you want it.

I finally put a ceiling fan in my bedroom and now can't believe I ever slept without one. I love ceiling fans. They make a difference in comfort level IMO even with air conditioning.

I'd do it. No one says you have to turn the lights on when the fan is on.

We have two Hunter ceiling fans from Home Depot that have run almost year round for 7 years and they have never had any problems. No shaking , humming, or rattling. They both have lights, but I don't like the light they cast and only use them when I need the room brightly lit for a specific task. Otherwise the light is off and I use the lamps around the room.
We use the fans mostly for a more efficient distribution of the heater and air conditioning. I love them.

It's also possible to put a dimmer on the light when wired appropriately.

If you have a fan you will at least have the option when you need some air circulation. I'd highly recommend one in every room. Some fans are aesthetically attractive, for example
Girl's room ceiling fan
Southern styled ceiling fan
Rustic ceiling fan
Rattan ceiling fan
But of course you don't have to have fans.

Even if you decide to not put ceiling fans in, you should certainly make sure that EVERY room with a ceiling fixture box has a "fan box" installed, so it will be easy for you or a future owner to install fans later. Only costs a couple bucks more before the drywall goes up, but a big pain to put in later..

I am in a little different boat than you: I WANT to add fans to two rooms. What I am looking for is a quiet and, most importantly, small ceiling fan with no lights. I have only found one low profile ceiling fan without lights. It seems to be slightly bigger than bathroom fan units. From what I've read it is a new product so no reviews out yet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ceiling Fan

you don't HAVE to have them if you don't want them. but as others have said, it moves the air around. cold air (a/c) and hot air (heat). there's a switch to change them from clockwise to counterclockwise.
they don't have to have a light - and the wattage of the bulbs has been addressed. and there's dimmer switches and remotes also.

fans have come a long way on the decorating side... we use them all the time here in AZ. I just checked and my new place has them in every room except baths and kitchen. THe kitchen is very small tho - maybe 10x10 - and very open to the other rooms and I seldom cook. I'm not as concerned about that room but I was dreading the expense of wiring if nothing was up there already.

I like the ceiling lites for cleaning - and as I get older i like to have a balanced light on when I enter a room at night. less likely to trip and fall.