Sparkling crystals, shiny bulbs, and a rotating disco ball hanging from minimalistic concentric rings create patterned shadows, and a bright illuminated glow. This particular instance of holiday magic comes from a seven and a half foot contemporary holiday tree which hangs in the front window of a vintage mid-century and retro business. “It’s clean and simplistic design is timeless, much as the designs encompassing the Mid-Century Modern movement. And my customers love it as much as I do,” Scott, owner of Mod Lines.
Businesses, Families, and Children across the world have experienced the dazzling effect of the tree. Wedding planners, interior designers, talent agents, and Hollywood films have taken interest. Over 100 businesses, including Google, Red Bull, Four Seasons San Francisco, Disney, and DCI Engineers have displayed the tree. A Dubai hotel has 12 trees.
Buyers have found the tree searching for a modern alternative and space saving troubles on sites and catalogs like Amazon, Brookstone, Y Living, 2 Modern, and the cover of Hammacher Schlemmler.
“I recently set up the trees with my Mom, Grandpa Stoecker’s only daughter, at the Colorado Governor’s Mansion,” says President and founder, Matt Bliss. “Three trees are featured under a chandelier from the White House.”
Handmade by engineer, architect, and designer Lawrence ‘Bud’ Stoecker in the mid-1960s, the mid-century modern and contemporary tree was even lost for a couple decades. Grandson Matt Bliss revived the tree in 2012 by patenting Stoecker’s design and starting to offer it to the world on his web site (www.ModernChristmasTrees.com).
Stoecker suffered from Alzheimer’s, sadly passing away a week before the United States Patent was issued. Three weeks later, the family celebrated his life at an exhibition of his trees at the original Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California.
Selfless like his grandfather, Bliss contributes a portion every sale to the Alzheimer’s Association and continues to look for opportunities to impact this particular community.
Easy to unpackage and hang, the tree solves both the issue of killing live trees needed for oxygen, it also solves the storage space issue that people face from having large, clunky artificial holiday trees.
Frank Lloyd Wright and Julius Shulman would be proud of the tree for it’s ability to light up both Charles Deaton’s Sculptured House in the mountains of Colorado, and the famous “Case Study House #22” Stahl House in Hollywood Hills. “The way the light from the tree illuminates onto the steel beams of the broad spanning roof provided the perfect canvas to show the beauty of the tree,” said Bliss.
Bliss keeps these loving memories alive seen in the detailed craftsmanship and design of Modern Christmas Trees, just as his grandfather would have done.
Modern Christmas Trees are made of durable and lightweight acrylic. Each tree includes an LED light, rotating mirror ball, ornament options and installation kit. Prices range from $599 to $799 in its store front.
For more information contact Matt at [email protected] or 303-885-4153. Photography by www.JCBuck.com
