Umami Home + Gift

If you're in Albany and looking for ethically made items from around the world Umami Home + Gift should most definitely be on your route.
Umami Home + Gift
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Umami Home + Gift

The owner Melanie has a special passion for finding conversation pieces, the kind of design objects that are the first thing a guest in your home notices and gravitates toward.

And it’s not by luck, as she puts in the time to make sure she keeps track of dozens of small batch, artisan makers all around the world.Her window decorating skills are top notch, with many of our customers remarking to us that they passed by her shop and after seeing the display, were tempted to wander in for the full experience.

Lastly, she is a constant champion to her artisan vendors - promoting them on social media with as much warmth as a family member.

As Bitti Gitti, we're honored to be partnering with Umami Home + Gift and hope you'll enjoy their collection as well.

Unique design objects

How did you start the Umami Home & Gift?

I originally started Umami as a custom design business, mostly focusing on window coverings and upholstery. After a few years I decided to expand so I opened a brick & mortar home decor shop. A couple months after we opened the shop, the pandemic hit. We ended up shutting down the design part of the business and doubling down on the shop. We expanded the shop offering to include not only home decor, but also jewelry, art, textiles, gifts etc. We specialize in vintage, new home decor & gifts.

Can you tell us a memorable story from a customer of yours using the Wooden Sound System?

One thing that comes to mind is a woman buying a speaker for her older father who has trouble hearing his phone. He can keep the phone in his speaker so that when it rings it will ring more loudly and he will not have to look for it, he knows where it is. Pretty cool!

How do you decide which products to sell in your store?

As for deciding which products to carry in the store, I take sourcing very seriously. We try to only carry products that are ethically and sustainably made. We support many fair trade artisans from around the world.

Available products

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