Beautiful and functional both!  Easy to crank up and down.  The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because the height of the pin that you push across the pole to secure the umbrella while open is too high.  At 5'3" I have to stand on a step stool to reach it.  I bought a step stool that now lives on my patio just for this purpose. Other than that, I really like this umbrella and recommend it, especially if you're just a few inches taller :)