Umbrella stands find a place in homes, offices, and retail establishments. They seem like such a straightforward item, but actually a number of design decisions come into play.
For example, let’s look at the Ombo umbrella stand from Com.p.ar, designed by Alberto Arter and Fabrizio Citton. It’s made from black lacquered steel, covered with regenerated leather—so it should wear well, but it’s definitely an inside-only item. And while it’s a beautiful design, it won’t work for people who use compact collapsible umbrellas rather than traditional full-sized ones.
Compare that to the gorgeously curvy Narcisco umbrella stand from Tonin Casa, designed by Davide Bozzini. It’s made of powder-coated steel, and comes with a number of cautions [PDF]: don’t expose it to sunlight, don’t expose it to the elements if it’s kept outside, and watch out for “dangerous objects” which could cause scratching—not the umbrella stand for household with small children. This one is also intended for traditional umbrellas only.
The Elic umbrella stand from Area Declic, designed by Antonio Lanzillo and Carlo Martinengo, is made from polyethylene produced by rotational molding. This is a super-practical design for end-users who aren’t opposed to plastics. It’s UV resistant, and OK for outdoor use. (But at only 8.8 pounds, and with a relatively high center of gravity, I wouldn’t leave it outside in high winds—although, polyethylene being shatter-proof, at least it wouldn’t break if it did fall over.) It has two spaces, one for short umbrellas and one for tall ones; if the end-user doesn’t have short umbrellas, the short compartment could certainly be used to stash something else.
The Aki umbrella stand from B-Line, designed by Rodolfo Bonetto, is another one made from rotomolded polyethylene. It can be used indoors or out; as B-Line says, “It has no problem with water.” Since it’s only seven pounds, it’s another one I wouldn’t leave out in high winds—something we get a lot of in my part of the world.
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