A Nordic Oasis at Star Mill is Where Tomtes Thrive

Since 1996, has been selling Scandinavian handicrafts from her Starr Mill shop.

Inside, there is so much to behold — colorful Dalecarlian wooden horses sit on shelves, in lines from tiny to large; Russian nesting dolls, woolen Devold sweaters, knitted in Norway; stunning glass Christmas ornaments and Swedish tomtes, a handcarved Relko rocking horse; children's toys and trinkets and coloring books that introduce Dutch, Swedish and Finlandia history and customs.

For 17 years before that, Chapman, a onetime blues singer, sold items wholesale from an old factory at 331 East Main Street. In the 1960-80s, Chapman ran an importing business and showroom on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Now, her longtime assistant Marie Gonsior runs the little shop nestled in the old Starr Mill building in a quiet residential area on Beverly Heights. She bustles about, helping customers find the perfect gift among the hundreds of treasures tucked into every corner.

In a waist-high glass cabinet are displayed antique estate jewelry, all appraised by a jeweler, Gonsior says — pearl necklaces of all lengths, pins, bracelets, earrings, well-worn gold chains and more.

There are hand-dipped candles from Scandinavia lining the entrance area and traditional Dutch clogs, both of which lend an air of timelessness to this precious little oasis in one of two 19th-century factory buildings perched at Starr Mill Pond.

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