Designwire Daily: from the editors of Interior Design magazine

Umbra Announces Winners of YouDesign Contest

by Sheila Kim | Thursday, August 19, 2010

This was a big year for housewares and accessories company Umbra. Not only has it turned 30, but to celebrate this milestone anniversary, the company launched a successful online competition called YouDesign. The contest invited consumers—that’s right, consumers—to submit a photo of how they’ve used Umbra products in their own settings. More than 150 entries drew 13,000 unique visits to the contest site, as well as 8,000-plus online votes. The 10 submissions with the highest vote count were then presented to a panel of media and industry judges to narrow the list down to three finalists.

Darlene Molnar from Washington, D.C., took home first prize for her Cupcake Tier, which utilized a transparent paper-towel holder. “This competition allowed Umbra to embrace the creativity of their consumers,” says Molnar. “To redesign or redefine already well designed products was challenging, interesting, and fun.”

Second-place winner Chifen Cheng from Montreal, Canada, used decorative panels within a fireplace mantle, while third-place winner Jenny Sereeyothyn from Brooklyn, New York, spruced up Karim Rashid’s iconic Garbino trashcan with a collage of bears.

Umbra flew the three winners into New York to attend a special anniversary celebration during the annual NY International Gift Show this week. The company awarded the top prize of $5,000 Umbra dollars to Molnar, who, when asked what she’d do if she won first prize, declared, “I want one of everything in the U+ collection!”