Five years ago, when the New York-based interior architect Anne-Sophie Rosseel became a parent, she was dismayed by the cutesy, flimsy children’s furniture available. Most of it was “designed to end up in the landfill,” says the Belgian-born 41-year-old. “But it wasn’t always this way.” In the mid-20th century, she points out, Modernists including Charles and Ray Eames, Enzo Mari and Bruno Munari created thoughtful pieces that didn’t look out of place in the pared-down living spaces of that era. Now Rosseel is hoping to revive that tradition with her new line of kids’ furniture, House of RoRo. Named after her son’s favorite teddy bear, the collection, debuting online this month with six items and expanding in the coming months, includes a stackable blue-and-green side table with an optional pair of eyes painted on the interior; a pink-and-red chair with an arched back and seat; a rocking chair with a vintage silk cushion; and a round table with a sculptural base. The pieces, constructed from plywood stained a variety of hues, arrive in flat packs and can be assembled in just a few minutes with a rubber mallet. Rosseel hopes her youngest customers will participate in the process. When children “make an impact on their environment,” she says, “it cultivates their sense of agency.” From $240; available athouseofroro.com. — Siska Lyssens
