A home for your bumbershoot

With the possible exception of the Unbreakable Umbrella, an umbrella/weapon that was blogged on Boing Boing Gagets a couple of years ago, there hasn't been a significant advance in umbrella design or technology since the Egyptians. (Yes, umbrellas go back as far as the ancient Egyptians. I checked.) Oh, some early-'80s smart guy — I picture him with a Rick Astley haircut and a piano-key tie — came up with the auto-retracting umbrella, sure, but was that really a step forward? Not unless you like an umbrella that wilts at the center joint and funnels rainwater efficiently onto your left shoulder. No, the thing is pretty much what it is, for good or ill. But umbrella stands… those are another matter. They're humble and homely, sure, but that doesn't mean they can't be executed with some flair. The latest installment of the Herman Miller company's "Five Fabulous… " series features five umbrella stands you'd be proud to have adorn your home. I like the vaguely aspirational Umbrella Pot, which channels rainwater runoff to a small green plant housed in the base.