Magnetic covers add style to your ceiling lights
Magnetic covers add style, soften glare of recessed ceiling lights, writes Karen Turner.
Kory Keogan could have sat in the dark watching TV to avoid the glare of a recessed light above his head, but instead, the fast-thinking troubleshooter did his best MacGyver impersonation and rigged up a diffuser using fishing wire, two magnets and a convex mirror.
Fast-forward eight years and his makeshift solution has morphed into EzClipse, an innovative line of magnetic trims and stylish shades for pot lights and older style can lights.
“They literally install in seconds and are easy to remove,” says Keogan, 39, demonstrating how the round or square silicone covers and lightweight shades click onto the frame of a recessed ceiling light to soften the glow or dress up the bland fixture.
“There’s no rewiring required, no changing parts and no mess. And when you leave, you can take it with you,” he says.
Though simple to use and affordable — low-profile covers are priced from $21; shades from $45 — bringing his novel decor idea to market has not been easy for the Ottawa inventor. Despite the fact there’s nothing like the EzClipse available — Keogan did a patent search to rule out any conflicts — convincing investors of the saleability of his products was challenging.
A common reaction: “We think it’s cool, but we need someone to think it’s cool before we like it.”
Refusing to give up, Keogan tried to get on the popular TV show, Dragons’ Den, in hopes of convincing one of the wealthy venture capitalists on the panel to invest in his company. “I was trying to go down every avenue possible,” he says.
When that failed, he submitted his idea to Quirky, a New Yorkbased company that helps inventors develop their ideas by asking the general public for feedback. This time, the response was positive.
“It was the justification I needed,” says Keogan, who started his first business at the age of 27 selling boats imported from the United States. That was followed by Tin Can Painting, a company he still owns, offering interior and exterior painting services for residential and commercial properties.
Two years ago, Keogan decided to take the EzClipse “to the next level” by partnering with Ottawa businessman Mike Fleming. The company now has three product lines and an e-commerce website through Shopify. At the Ottawa Home & Garden Show in March, Keogan says the response was overwhelming.
“We literally had a traffic jam in front of our booth,” he beams, adding they are now in talks with a Canadian big-box chain to carry their products and have reached out to interior designers, home builders and lighting associations to expand their market.
“It’s taken so long, but what really pushed me was the force to succeed,” says Keogan from his Frank Street office. “I’ve always wanted to be my own boss.”
For more information, visit www. ezclipse.com or call 613-408-5346