Sunny days and….umbrellas?
Kendra June 11th, 2009
It might seem strange to be talking about umbrellas during these sunny warm days, but I can’t resist writing about my discovery of a unique Ballard business. Bella Umbrella is a one of a kind shop featuring umbrellas. You would think with the climate in Washington state that there would be plenty of shops like this, but it’s the only one in Seattle to sell umbrellas exclusively and indeed it’s one of only a few shops like this in the world.
You might think a shop like this would be slow during this sunny stretch, but Bella Umbrella has a fantastic rental business providing vintage umbrellas for weddings to protect from the sun, rain or just to look picturesque in the wedding photos. In addition to renting umbrellas, there are vintage or modern umbrellas for sale. There were some umbrellas made with Marimekko fabrics that were smaller than the usual compact umbrella. Unlike most compacts, these could actually fit very easily into a purse, even a small bag.
For those of us more used to picking up a cheap umbrella from a big box store, this shop is an eye opener. The vintage umbrellas have a charm not available in the modern versions. Not only are the fabric choices more interesting, but the handle are works of art. I was shown an umbrella with a carved wood handle more than 100 years old, an umbrella with a handle decorated with 14 karat gold and longingly eyed the lucite and colored handles on rows upon rows of umbrellas. I honestly felt looking around as if I was in an art gallery there was so much to look at.
In chatting with the owner, Jodell, she mentioned that with global warming people are thinking about using umbrellas for more than rainstorms. Recently a woman came into the shop desperate to buy an umbrellas because she couldn’t take the sun. There was a time when ladies were supposed to have marble white skin and only ‘rough’ women had tanned skin. Maybe the clock is turning back to this earlier era and we will see a sea of umbrellas even in summertime.
Bella Umbrella Boutique
1421 NW 70th Street
Seattle, WA 98117
PH 206-297-1540
