Let’s Throw Some Shade – Shop Outdoor Umbrellas & Shade
Shade began as a power move.
The word umbrella traces back through Italian to the Latin umbra — meaning shadow and/or shade. Before it was a design object, before it was a considered element of outdoor living, it was the oldest status symbol in recorded history. The instinct to seek shade is as old as humanity itself. What changed, over millennia, was who was allowed to take cover under it.
The earliest evidence of the umbrella as shade appeared in ancient Egypt around 2450 BC — palm fronds, feathers and stretched papyrus fastened to poles, held aloft by servants over pharaohs and gods moving in procession beneath the African sun. Not for rain but for shade from the sun and for the unmistakable power statement that came with it. In Assyria, only the king held the right to be shaded by an umbrella or parasol. The carved reliefs of Persepolis show Persian kings attended by servants bearing canopied shade over their heads. In ancient Mesopotamia the message was identical — shade was only for the powerful.
China took the concept further and engineered it into something enduring. Around 1100 BC the Chinese were the first to waterproof the shade material, waxing and lacquering paper and silk canopies into all-weather instruments. Archaeological digs at Luoyang later uncovered bronze castings of collapsible umbrella mechanisms dating back to the Zhou dynasty around 600 BC — the earliest known folding design, recognizable in its geometry even today. Social hierarchy was built into every tier — the Emperor traveled beneath four elaborate layers of canopy. Only the Chinese royal family was permitted use of yellow shade. The rulers of Siam and Burma extended this tradition across the region, commanding between eight and twenty-four tiers of canopy overhead. The message was architecture as power: the bigger the shade, the greater the power being shaded by it.
The Silk Road carried Chinese umbrellas into Europe by the late sixteenth century, arriving in a world that found them exotic, fashionable and expensive. For centuries the outdoor umbrella remained a luxury object — heavy, elaborate and the exclusive province of those who could afford both the umbrella and the person to shade them with it.
That exclusive status finally changed in mid-eighteenth century England when Jonas Hanway became the first man to carry an umbrella regularly in public. He was mocked, pelted by coachmen who feared umbrellas would eliminate their trade, and persisted anyway. By the 1790s the umbrella had shed its associations with exclusivity and femininity and begun its migration toward everyday object.
The outdoor umbrella as we know it today is the direct descendant of that five-thousand-year history — same essential architecture, same fundamental purpose evolved. Powder-coated aluminum frames. Performance canopy fabrics engineered for UV protection, water resistance and fabric color retention. Cantilever designs that shade without a center support pole. Integrated heating and lighting for use at night.
What remains unchanged is what shade does for an outdoor space, and for the people occupying it. It is a stylish element that adjusts the outdoor space, making it more comfortable — hello outdoor living and entertaining.
Click-through to view the luxe-edit.com curation of outdoor umbrellas and shade — from the sculptural and the statement-making to the architecturally scaled — shade your outdoor space in style.
Get Your Grill On! | BBQ Grills & More…2026-2
There is something that happens when fire meets food outdoors that's almost magical, that no kitchen, however well-equipped, can replicate. Fire is the oldest human technology and cooking over it outside, in the open air, with smoke and heat is where every food culture on planet Earth began.
The backyard grill as Americans came to know it has a surprisingly specific origin story. In 1952, a Chicago metalworker named George Stephen Sr. took a spherical metal buoy, cut it in half, added legs and a lid, and changed the way Americans cooked outdoors. He called it the Weber kettle — named for Weber Brothers Metal Works, where he worked and eventually bought a controlling interest. It wasn't conceived as a design object or a status symbol — it was practical, it was democratic, and it worked. The domed lid turned the grill into an oven sending the heat down into the food being grilled, the lid increased the interior temperature and kept it steady, while the trapped smoke had nowhere to go but down into the food, thus enhancing the flavor. George Stephen Sr. founded Weber-Stephen Products Company to manufacture and sell his innovative kettle grill, and the timing could not have been better — postwar suburban expansion had millions of Americans now living in a house with a backyard space that was perfect for a Weber grill.
Within a decade of the Weber kettle's arrival, the gas grill entered the picture and changed outdoor cooking permanently. Propane brought precision and consistency to the backyard grill — even, controllable heat that put the cook firmly in command of the process. Gas grills spread rapidly across American backyards, decks, and patios and for good reason: they delivered reliable results without the unpredictability of burning charcoal briquettes to keep enough consistent heat to cook on. Then backyard grilling evolved even more with multiple options — Pellet fueled grills that delivered genuine wood-fired smoke flavor — Kamado grills that are ceramic-walled, descendants from ancient Japanese clay cooking vessels called mushikamado that earned the devotion of serious outdoor grillers for their ability to maintain temperature for hours. The Argentinian-style Gaucho grill involves open fire, live embers, and adjustable-height cooking. The grate and/or meat hooks can be moved up or down above the embers, adjusting the protein’s proximity to the fire/heat to achieve the desired cook. Gaucho grilling is the most hands-on grilling experience available — and for the cook who wants that direct engagement with live fire, nothing else comes close. Electric outdoor grills deliver consistent, controllable heat without live fire. If where you live doesn’t allow live fire grilling or if you prefer a non-live fire option then an electric grill is for you. There's also the flat-top grill which is really a flat surface griddle capable of cooking anything from delicate fish to a sunny-side-up egg — a full range of cooking had arrived in the backyard.
Smokers occupy their own universe in outdoor cooking — patient, deliberate, and rewarding in ways that no other method can match. Where a grill works with higher heat and a quicker cooking time, a smoker works with low heat and wood smoke over a longer period of time, transforming proteins into something smoke-infused and truly special. The offset smoker is the classic configuration — a separate firebox attached to one end of a cooking chamber, feeding fragrant hardwood smoke across the food low and slow for hours. Cabinet smokers, sometimes called vertical smokers, place the heat source and wood chips at the bottom and the food is placed on a series of racks above the heat, space conscious while providing lots of capacity. Barrel smokers — also known as drum smokers — use an upright steel drum design that maintains heat remarkably well and delivers bold smoke flavor with minimal fuss. Pellet smokers offer precision feeding compressed hardwood pellets automatically to deliver consistent heat and smoke from start to finish. Electric outdoor smokers provide a smoking method without having to manage and maintain a live fire — set the desired temperature, add the wood chips, and the smoker does the work. The common theme across all smokers is the time involved — it's an unhurried process that rewards in the end with deep, satisfying flavor.
Get your grill on with this mouth-watering luxe-edit.com curation of grills and smokers — dinner is served!
Holiday Happier: An Entertaining Guide – Time to Nosh & Celebrate Hanukkah!
Hanukkah (Chanukah), the Festival of Lights, revolves around the nightly lighting of the menorah at sundown for eight nights. This ritual commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple and the remarkable miracle of oil that sustained the menorah for eight days when there was only enough oil for one night. While the ritual provides a framework, the true essence of the celebration lies in the gatherings, repetitions, and shared language of food, sound, and presence that carries the holiday forward night after night.
Hanukkah is not a hurried holiday; it unfolds one evening at a time. Lights are kindled, blessings are recited, and familiar melodies emerge effortlessly. The holiday’s rhythm settles in through simple acts repeated eight times in a row, not for spectacle or performance, but because this is how the season is lived. Dreidels spin across tabletops, Gelt changes hands, small gifts appear, and laughter echoes through the rooms. It is a holiday shaped less by pageantry than by the return of loved ones, a reminder to show up again tomorrow and relive the festivities.
The dining table becomes the heart of the celebration, where the rhythm truly comes alive. The sizzling of latkes fills the air with the aroma of oil and potatoes, while warm sufganiyot arrive, indulgent and unapologetically sweet. Thick slices of babka are generously cut, and braided challah (egg bread) is pulled apart by hand. Smoked fish is laid out with care, and rugelach always disappears fast. These foods don’t merely decorate Hanukkah; they transmit its essence. They are how memories move forward, generation to generation. Food is not an accessory to the Festival of Lights; it is one of its working languages. It transforms ritual into a tangible experience, fostering a sense of connection among generations.
Whether you keep kosher or not, Holiday Happier An Entertaining Guide - Time To Nosh & Celebrate Hanukkah celebrates the Festival of Lights with you — dedicated kosher options for those who observe, and delicious choices for every table. Happy Hanukkah!
Holiday Happier: A Gifting & Entertaining Guide – Food & Wine – Part Deux
Dive into this next chapter, where the ocean’s bounty awaits! Chef-favorite Atlantic salmon, wild Atlantic cod, wild ahi tuna steaks, branzino, rainbow trout, colossal dry sea scallops, wild American red snapper, Atlantic halibut, blue shrimp, and more — all ethically sourced to ensure both quality and sustainability. This wouldn’t be a luxury guide without the exquisite flavors of Japanese Wagyu, tender Green Circle chicken, and an assortment of exotic proteins that will elevate your holiday table to a culinary masterpiece. Additionally, you will find irresistible delicacies perfect for creating show-stopping charcuterie boards that will leave your guests in awe and eager for more. The guide continues with highly rated white wine varietals and fine champagnes to perfectly complement your meals, as well as an indulgent selection of luxury candy and fine French chocolates — expect nothing less than the finest in edible luxury that will tantalize your taste buds. This thoughtful curation is focused on holiday entertaining while also offering inspired holiday gifts guaranteed to please even the most discerning of palates. ’Tis the season to Holiday Happier with luxe-edit.com, where each curated selection will make your celebrations memorable and joyous!