Thursday, May 8, 2008

Our vote for the most clever summer item so far goes to Grandin Road's Outdoor Half-Umbrella. This portable patio awning offers an easy solution for setting up shade just about anywhere, even places with minimal space: over a door or window, along a wall or on a small apartment balcony. The base stands flush against any vertical surface (translation: no fussy installation), and opening and closing are done with a simple turn of a crank. The umbrella is $299, the base $99. Available colors are antique beige, ivory, citron (green), kona (brown), neptune (blue) and paprika (red). See Grandin Road for more details.

Terri Sapienza