It seems like every year, the holiday season creeps up on me and I find myself suddenly realizing that I need to get my gifting on! However, this year, I think I’ve got a good fighting chance at getting everything handled… with the help of one of my favorite design brands, Umbra! I’ve always appreciated Umbra’s clean modern products. I think the thing that has attracted me the most is that there’s an overall sense of fun to the designs. I’ve also always loved how accessible their products are, being easily found in stores all across the globe and at every price point.
Well, I’m excited to say that I’m collaborating with Umbra to curate a great collection of goodies that will make for great gifting for both your home and your friends! Here are five of my favorite finds from Umbra for the holidays:
I’m one of those people that still appreciate “snail mail”. There’s something magical about coming home and the surprise of seeing that familiar card sized envelope waiting for you in your mailbox. The sheer simple joy of being able to rip it open and pulling out a cute card with a nice sentiment always brings a smile. It’s something no ecard or email can replace! However, what to do with all the cards you receive? I remember when I was a kid, my family would display them out on the dining room table or sometimes above the fireplace mantle. The only problem was every time someone walked by or if there was a draft, they’d all come flying off!
Well, designer Sung Wook Park devised a wonderful and practial product to fix that. The Standit. While it might not have necessarily been created specifically for Holiday cards, it definitely makes for an awesome solution right? It’s basically a simple “ladder” type construction that rests up against any wall.
I took it one step further and thought it could make a great alternative Christmas tree. No mess, easy install, and best part is that you can keep it up all year! Just switch out the cards with photos or other mementos you collect throughout the year!
The key to a good desk is organization. Erika Kovesdi clearly had that in mind when she designed the CUBIST Wall Shelf Small. Inspired by Piet Mondrian’s linear and graphic compositions, you can’t beat it’s simplicity, let alone the functionality. The other nice touch is the wood element, which brings some added warmth and texture. Use the little box to store your pens, or maybe just a simple flower or plant to brighten your day. There’s a removable plastic insert so it will hold water or dirt nicely and allows for easy maintenance.
However, not only does this shelf make for good desk organization, it comes with a mounting kit that makes it perfect for anyone in need of some space saving. I liked the idea of using it as a “landing strip” for your entryway. I once lived in an apartment that didn’t have a real “entryway”. You literally walked in the door and right into the main living room. I’d always forget where I put my stuff since I didn’t have a “go to” spot everytime I came in.
Well, if you have one of these CUBIST shelves, that problem is solved! Just mount this by the front door and you have a go-to place to throw your keys and wallet/phone/glasses, even your mail, without taking up as much space as say a table or console.
Speaking of wall storage ideas, that brings us to these fun little guys- the TRIGG wall vessel system. These geometric cuties are made of a metal wire frame that hold a triangular ceramic vessel. They come in two sizes, a large and small, and the fact that they are in a diamond formation gives you tons of mounting variations and possibilities. Use them in the bathroom to hold small toiletries like cotton swabs or your make up brushes, or by a desk to hold clips, pens, and stationery items… or…
I found that they are the perfect place to hold utensils and napkins for your next holiday party side table or drink station! (UPDATE: For US customers, get Trigg here, and Europe->here)
Ok so after the party is the after party, and after the after party… is the clean up. :-/ And there comes the need for a trashcan! Actually the COUPLET can might not be the best for a major rager clean up, but it is the perfect trashcan for your daily needs. The best part about this can is that it comes with a built-in detachable bin. You can use it to separate your recyclables vs trash, or use it to hold the wet things/compostable things vs dry/paper items.
Fun fact: Designer David Green was inspired by the lines found in nature, like the veins on a leaf, or spider webs when he came up with the angles for the can.
Finally, I think my favorite find is this PONGO Portable Table Tennis kit. I mean, who doesn’t love a good game of Ping Pong?! Seriously- this little kit is so. genius.
It comes complete with a net that is retractable and can adjust to any size table, and then two paddles (with retractable handles) so that the whole thing can be condensed into a small pouch for easy travel. It also comes with 2 balls which are stored within one of the sides of the net. Everything you need to get the fun started!
Whether you get this for a friend or for yourself- Whoever has PONGO will definitely be the life of any party! (plus I love the gray/aqua combo)
There are seriously so many fun finds in Umbra’s product line that I couldn’t fit them all here, so I created a convenient gift guide Pinterest board which you can check out here.
For more fun gift ideas, check out Umbra’s site here.
By the way, Umbra also has a really fun Holiday contest going on Instagram! Just share a photo of your favorite Umbra product using #myumbraholiday and tag @umbra_ltd in the photo or in the comments section in Instagram. You could win a $50 gift code to shop at Umbra.com. Contest ends Dec.22, 2015. All the rules and details here.
Photos and styling by Happy Mundane / J3 Productions, Inc.
This post in collaboration with Umbra. All opinions are my own.