Our Story
Designed in Toronto, since 1979.
A window shade started it. A belief carried it forward. Original design belongs in everyday life.
Our Story
UmbraZ began with a question. Could this be better?
In 1979 two Toronto friends could not find a window covering they wanted to live with, so they drew one themselves. That first shade was never meant to sit in a gallery. It was meant to hang in an ordinary room and still feel considered.
A single useful object became a way of working. While other houses chased statement pieces, this studio looked at the things people actually touch: hooks, frames, rods, trays, the quiet hardware of a day. If an object organizes a room or steadies a routine, it deserves original thinking.
More than four decades later that brief has not changed. We do not add decoration on top of function. Function is where the drawing starts. UmbraZ pieces now live in homes around the world, still under the same idea: everyday objects deserve original design.
Design pillars
The principles behind every product.
Better by design
We question what already exists, then redraw it until the use is obvious.
Everyday first
We design for how people actually live, not for a staged set.
Built around use
Function is not an afterthought. It is the first line on the page.
Original thinking
No trend chasing. No copies. New ideas that earn a place on the shelf.
The UmbraZ Store
Our Toronto flagship gathers new collections, first looks, and the people who draw them. Come see the work in person.