When Sandy roared into the County a year ago, among other devastating damage, many homeowners lost beautiful old trees. And while we certainly hope we don’t see any such storms this fall, this is something to keep in mind if we do—or if you have to remove a tree for any reason. A few years back, when one of the owners of Westchester Tree Life of Chappaqua was moving, one of the conditions of sale required his removing a favorite old tree from his backyard. He approached Don Osmer of Chappaqua, a former building remodeler who hand-crafts bowls and shaker boxes, to create a bowl or two for him from that tree as a remembrance. He was so pleased with the result that he started spreading the word among his clients and Osmer’s new sideline was launched.
Fully functional for food use, each handsome bowl is one of a kind—even when several bowls are made from the same tree, each one is different, depending on the cut and shape of the piece used. Osmer uses the largest portion of the tree available to him and the process, from start to finish, takes at least three months. “The design is governed by the shape of the tree or its deformations,” he says. So far, the heirloom-quality bowls have ended up in California, Paris, and Hong Kong, in addition to Westchester homes. Prices range from $75 to $400. For more information, contact Osmer at (914) 238-3690.
