Get to Know: Brin d'Ours

Brin d’Ours are makers of handmade, sustainable wooden toys and animals, crafted from natural materials and designed with love in France. Creating collections of children’s toys with consideration on their impact on the planet from beginning to end, the founding duo believe that our planet and environment deserve to be taken care of; it is possible to live on this earth without damaging it. Known for a modern aesthetic, Brin d'Ours pieces are timeless with hand painted accents and smoothed edges - making them safe for children and a sweet decorative addition to homes.

Adhering to three key values (to make healthy and natural toys, follow 100% French production and limit their impact) Brin d’Ours creates toys in various sizes from untreated wood sourced from Vosges, a few kilometres from their home. Operating using 100% French production, since the company has scaled, the founding pair have worked hard to keep their design and production close to home; every step of the design, make and distribution is still completed in one place. For transport, cardboard boxes are used with recycled paper packaging toys and thicker recycled paper for wedging when necessary. Brin d’Ours proudly uses no plastic within their production.

Brin d’Ours was founded by Daniel Williams and Marie-Charlotte Pagnoux during their time as post-graduates in drawing and carpentry. Unsatisfied with the opportunities for work that had arisen since completing their studies, the pair wanted to try something that made sense to them - combining wood with drawing. After creating a selection of their first wooden toy designs, they began to sell at local markets in nearby villages in Saverne, Alsace and were met with a positive response - described as beautiful, soft and poetic, with an appreciation for them being made of a local wood with hand-painted decoration and eco-responsible awareness. Strengthening their beliefs and ideas further of creating responsible toys through committed craftsmanship, the birth of Daniel and Marie-Charlotte’s first son soon followed the introduction of their project.

Operating for two years between the two of them, demand soon increased and has led to an expansion of their team - Brin d’Ours toys are now brought to life by Nathalie, Marjorie, Manon, Julia, Olmes, Sylvain and Achille. Not ones to forget their roots, Brin d’Ours still attend markets throughout the year!

Arriving ahead of spring, we are so pleased to welcome a full restock of Brin d’Our designs to SMALL-FOLK, as one of two stockists here in the UK! Capturing the beauty of animals small and large, seasonal environments, foliage and select holiday scenes, Brin d’Our allows children to use their imagination in creating their own worlds. From the Brin d’Our Baby Hedgehog, Chick in The Egg and Piglet, to a Frog, Lying Natural Baby Rabbit and Snail, there are endless ideas to be explored! Really helping to set the scene, Brin d’Our Grass and Lily Pad designs are simplistic yet perfectly capture the essence of spring-like settings. For the holidays, the Brin d’Our Reindeer can be added to your collection, and multiple figures as part of a buildable Nativity have also been created.




Available online and in the SMALL-FOLK Totnes store. Have any questions about Brin d'Ours? We'll be happy to help!