Modern Wood Christmas Tree By Architect Makes A Smart and Stylish Alternative - PossibiliTree.

Richard Babcock, the father of Pat Babcock Sorensen, was an architect who built furniture in his spare time.

Tired of finding, hauling, displaying, watering and disposing of the bulky, needle-dropping, space-guzzling evergreen every Christmas, he came up with a simple and non-messy alternative to real Christmas trees.

He designed two wooden trees - a life-size version that stands at 6 feet and suspends from the ceiling with a thin wire and a 3 foot tabletop version which uses a base stand for support. Both were designed to be easy to set up, take down and store compactly, making the trees are a smart and stylish alternative.


above: Dick Babcock with his suspended 6ft Cherry tree in 1994

Prompted by recognition (In 2002, the suspended tree placed as a finalist in the national Hammacher Schlemmer Search for Invention® contest), and the Babcock family's long-standing affection for the trees, Pat speculated that others would value them as well. So, they patented the design and formed a business and the PossibiliTree was born.


above: Pat Babcock Sorenson, right, and and her business partner Nadja Reubenova, left. (image by Tom Wallace for the Star Tribune)

They produce a limited number of 6ft suspended trees and 3ft table top models in Walnut wood, Cherry wood or Birch wood (the tabletop version in Walnut is already sold out for 2011). The trees are manufactured in the US and use reclaimed or “deadfall” wood whenever possible.

Some examples of the trees from previous customers:






above two images by Tom Wallace for the Star Tribune

Their appearance harkens back to mid-century modern design and they look as great bare as they do adorned so you can keep them up all year round.

6 foot suspended tree


A favorite of architects and designers, this tree is visually stunning and ethereal. An award-winning design, the 6ft suspended possibiliTree, with 10 rows of branches, shows off ornaments beautifully. Floating 18 inches above the floor, there is plenty of room underneath to place gifts. Comes pre-strung and rolled in a bundle. Simply unroll it, hang it, fan out the branches, and decorate. (Ceiling hook not included.)


Note: as of 12/04/11, there are 93 6ft suspended possibiliTrees available

Height: 72" plus length of wire
Weight: 13 lbs
Diameter at Widest: 53"
Compostion: Wood, .07 GA/125 lb Test Wire
Comes With: Storage Box, Instructions
Note: Requires 9' or higher ceiling

3 Foot tabletop tree


Clean-lined, unfussy, practical. The 3ft Tabletop—only 28 inches at its widest—is made for smaller living spaces, but would look great as a second Christmas tree in the foyer or family room of a larger home. You can decorate this tree during the holidays and enjoy it for its artful simplicity, unadorned, throughout the year.


Note: The Walnut tabletop tree is sold out, but the Cherry wood and Birch versions are still available

Height: 35"
Weight: 3.2 lbs.
Diameter at Widest: 28"
Compostion: Wood, Metal Rod
Comes With: Cotton Bundle Cloth, Storage Tube, Instructions

Buy your PossibiliTrees here

Product Pick of the Week: The Barcelona Bird Pavilion by Monique Engelund.

Designer Monique Engelund designed this stunning birdhouse and feeder for menu, inspired by the famous 1929 Barcelona Pavilion, designed by the legendary German architect Mies van der Rohe.


above: Meis van der Rohe's 1929 Barcelona Pavilion.

In keeping with van der Rohe’s spirit, it exudes geometric simplicity and is made of an extraordinary material: robust and durable acacia wood from sustainable European forests.



The feeding table is beneath the roof, where the bird food can be placed on two spikes, while the bird bath sits out in the open:



A stylish outdoor element for your garden that will make all the other birds chirp with envy.

Price approx $175 USD.

The Barcelona Bird Pavilion can be purchased here
Or here
Or here
Or here

Beautifully Crafted Wood Eyeglass Frames from a Carpenter and a Designer in Italy.

Italian carpenter Doriano Mattellone and designer Matteo Ragni have a love of wood and its properties, so together they began W-eye with Antonio Stella, which sells wooden eyeglass frames suitable for optical or sunglass lens.



Each lovingly crafted pair is constructed of seven sheets of wood interlaid with two sheets of aluminium to make them both structurally sound and flexible.




A digitally controlled cutting machine is used to create the contours and then each pair is sanded by hand. The frames are then branded and varnished and upon request, can be custom etched and numbered by a sophisticated laser system.





All W-eye models are available in nine types of wood. European wood species include Maple, Ash, Cherry and Walnut. African wood species include Wengè, Mahogany, Ebony, Zebra wood and Sapelli wood. Their most recent collection includes colorful wood stains.




Photo Credits: Still life by Luca Corvatta, portraits by Enrico Suà Ummarino.

Every pair of glasses can be full, or made from one type of wood, bifacial (two types of wood, inner and outer) or multicolour (mix of types of wood, inner/outer). The wood used comes from certified forests managed according to environmental sustainability criteria.

New for 2011:
Their newest collection, just released last month and not yet on their website, includes colored stained woods for a more vibrant and playful look:







Go here for the location of their shops or contact them via e-mail.

A special thanks to Elmanco for bringing these to my attention

The Ravenscroft Desk by Leonhard Pfeifer

above: The Ravenscroft Desk at the Museum of Modern Art, Estonia

Characterized by functionality, essential form and purity of materials, the Ravenscroft desk was designed to look striking from any angle so it could sit in the middle of a room instead of pushed up against a wall.





Conceived by London furniture designer Leonhard Pfeifer, the desk has a wide worktop that finishes in angled nooks, creating handy filing compartments for paperwork, while the raised rear surface is ideal for auxiliary monitors. Pfeifer included a low shelf for power transformers and external hard drives, integrating technology into the form.




Ravenscroft is produced in Europe by furniture brand Woodman in Oak with contrasting Walnut partitions. The desk launched at the Maison & Objet fair in Paris last week (9-13 September 2011).

www.leonhardpfeifer.com
www.woodman.ee
www.maison-objet.com



Be sure to see more of Leonhard's beautifully crafted furniture designs

California Shaped Desks and Coffee Tables By J. Rusten Studio

The California Series of desks and coffee tables by Jared Rusten of J. Rusten Studio are functional and fun handcrafted wood tables whose tops are shaped like the state of California.


above: prototype on the left, finished table on the right

The wooden top is made of salvaged Claro walnut (native to CA) and the base is salvaged white oak, treated with a vinegar & steel solution to produce the charcoal/ebony staining.







The prices are as follows:
Large Desk $2,950
Medium Desk $2,350
Medium Coffee table $2,250
Small Coffee table $1,650

you can purchase the pieces online here or you can mail a check to him at:

J. Rusten Furniture Studio
P.O. Box 40755
San Francisco, CA 94140

Jared Rusten creates modern, solid-wood furniture, sculpture, and artwork under the appellation: J. Rusten Furniture Studio.


above photo by Neil Barrett for Taylor Stitch

The studio was founded in 2003 with a mandate to advance the craft of woodworking, explore new and challenging solid-wood furniture designs, and construct beautiful, compelling, singular, and enduring objects.

The studio/workshop is located at 2815 23rd St. in San Francisco’s Mission District

See more of his fine wood furniture here.