Design Seen: It's a Hat, It's a Flower, It's a Dress
January 1, 2003
The idea was to give a splashy, eye-popping effect, but one that was still functional,” says Santa Barbara Designs’ president Colin Hayward of the ruffle-topped umbrella from the Mirasol line. Hayward
has yet to give this particular cover a name, and leaves it to the observer to determine what it most closely resembles—a hat for Ascot, a chrysanthemum, or the dress of a flamenco dancer. Whatever your interpretation, the umbrella brings a playful blend of glamour and whimsy poolside.
The Mirasol’s all-aluminum construction is a recent addition to Santa Barbara Designs’ wooden repertoire. “We noticed that clients in climates like those in the Caribbean and South Florida wanted something that wasn’t wood,” explains Hayward. It can be powder coated in standard or custom colors, or anodized if used in a region with extreme weather conditions. The cover’s delicate appearance belies a sturdy, awning-weight acrylic that lasts for between five and 10 years.
So far, people have requested the cover in pink, red, yellow or navy—unlike the usual cream, white and forest green—and Hayward welcomes customers with a yen for further experimentation, such as mix-and-match colors. “Or you could take a predominant color like red and corkscrew a curlicue of white up the middle.” Hayward adds that an equally impressive follow-up is in the works. “This cover has been very popular, and the pressure is on to find something else to equal it.”
Santa Barbara Designs, 800.919.9464, www.sbumbrella.com
advertisement
