In The News

December 17, 2014

IDAHO STATESMAN

A Boise couple tap into an undiscovered market: ceiling fan covers. BY ZACH KYLE

David Orr says he was sober when, lying in bed on Christmas Eve 2012, he was captivated by a holiday image thrown onto his vaulted bedroom's ceiling fan from the 4,000 Christmas lights in his yard.

It wasn't sugarplums. It was an eerily detailed vision of Santa Claus. In red and black lines, he saw the jolly old man's bearded face and hat and arms. Orr stirred his wife, Jody Orr, asking what she saw.

"Santa," she said, before rolling back over and returning to sleep.

Orr was taken by what he saw. He began thinking ceiling fans ought to be decorated. He turned that idea into Fan Blade Designs, which sells polyester fan-blade covers from the couple's home in the Boise Foothills.

David Orr, 48, designs the stretchy covers, which he says fit on 80 percent of fan-blade brands. Jody Orr, 53, handles the marketing. Both of them package and ship orders.

Since starting in August, Fan Blade Designs has sold 350 sets of blade covers, mostly from its website, fanbladedesigns.com. Patterns are based on college football teams - including all three Idaho four-year universities - as well as world flags, tropical themes and others selling online for $19.99 to $29.99.
Sales have increased steadily since August, Orr says, declining to disclose revenue. He expects the business to start making money soon.  

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Fan Blade Designs Carve Niche Business