By Roxanne Griese
Umbrella Stands, are rarely used as actual umbrella stands; a shame. The shapes, materials and designs, are unique and quite often beautiful; sadly no umbrellas.
A repurposed umbrella stand makes a distinctive bathroom, laundry room, or office waste bin; adding that touch of the unexpected. Galvanized steel stands add a modern feel, while more traditional types can add style and warmth.
Short on space in a bathroom for a guest accessories. Fold a towel in half, then roll the towel tight, placing it in the umbrella stand; roll a coordinating wash cloth then tuck the cloth, in front of the towel. Do not forget a nice bar of soap tucked at the top of the rolled towel for your guest. The attention to detail will make a guest feel welcome.
Small powder rooms can lack storage for the essentials. Umbrella stands make a terrific place for storing extra rolls of toilet paper, or to use as a trash receptacle, the shape of the umbrella stand fits nicely beside a toilet or tucked in a corner of a powder room.
Umbrella stands repurposed for unconventional purposes, makes for great conversation starters.
The umbrella stand was used as early as the Ming Dynasty. If you have an umbrella stand stashed in an attic or the basement, you may want to have a second peek at your umbrella stand; recently a couple found their dusty old umbrella stand was worth approximately $800,000.00.
Quick Tip: Toss a tissue in an umbrella stand used as a trash receptacle, before guests arrive; some may think it is far too nice for trash.
Stay tuned… continuing to love your space.
Roxanne Griese is an Artist
Decorating and organizing are her passions, to see more articles and artwork visit www.artbyroxanne.ca
Creative Living Tips & Tricks
Spring cleaning is never fun, cleaning window tracks can be a chore. First vacuum the track, using an edging tool; then spray the track using a spray bottle with a mixture of bleach and water. Leave the bleach water in the tracks for 5 minutes; then wipe clean. If the track is still dirty use an old tooth brush for those stubborn areas. Your window tracks will come out looking new.