A Passive Retrofit for Children's Line Oeuf's Brooklyn Headquarters

"If you've found yourself infatuated with a crib or toddler bed in the last 20 years, chances are they were designed by Oeuf. The Brooklyn-based lifestyle brand is the brainchild of Sophie Demenge and Michael Ryan, a couple who have been making things together since meeting on a city sidewalk at 2 am outside a furniture fair party. Sophie, who grew up in Paris, was at the time about to graduate with a degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute,"

"They began by creating sculptural, one-of-a-kind furniture and ceramics for late, great galleries such as Moss. When their first child, Mae, was on the way 23 years ago, they took a look at the available cribs-"cheaply made, bulky, and ugly," says Sophie-and responded by building what they envisioned. One crib led to many and when they included some of these among their one-offs at ICFF, their cribs landed on the front page of the New York Times Home section."

"Unable to keep up with the orders-"literally, pregnant women calling"-they found a factory to team up with in Latvia and Oeuf was born. All these years later, the same workshop is still making what is now their complete children's furniture line, and they also have longstanding crews in South America who produce Oeuf's accessories. Michael and Sophie's story is a rare tale of a small business that not only could, but with integrity and joie de vivre."

Oeuf is a Brooklyn-based children's furniture and lifestyle brand founded by Sophie Demenge and Michael Ryan. They began as makers of sculptural furniture and ceramics and created their first crib when preparing for their first child, reacting to cheaply made, bulky options. Early exposure at ICFF and a New York Times Home cover led to high demand and a factory partnership in Latvia. The same workshop still manufactures their furniture, with accessories produced by teams in South America. The company prioritizes ethical practices, using eco-friendly materials sourced near workshops, treating artisans well, and renovating headquarters to Passive House energy-efficiency standards.

Read at Remodelista