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
Sadly, these trees are no longer in production. I own one and I love it and I'm so glad I was able to get it when I did.