About LauraLe Wunsch

In 2011 LauraLe discovered a love of another type of creative collaboration; furniture making and specifically working with makers using reclaimed materials. Falling in love with that creative process and realizing there is a great pool of talented makers in her own area, who struggle to get their work out into the world, largely in part because they don't have a producer to help bring the work together and to light. When a search for a reclaimed fabric eventually led her to a local fire station, LauraLe was introduced to just how many colors fire hose comes in, its inherent characteristics and incredible durability and nostalgia. Upon learning that approximately 90% of this indestructible material ends up in landfill, once it's deemed unsafe safe for fighting fires, LauraLe couldn't put it down. She decided to share this great resource with the local artisans she'd begun to know and collaborate to create exclusive designs with a heroic past.

Giving Thanks for Creative Minds

By |2017-04-19T03:15:22+00:00November 24th, 2016|Uncategorized|

Happy Thanksgiving! As we take rare time today to set work aside for a moment and appreciate the blessings in our lives – our friends and families, even our differences in this unique time in history – we here at Oxgut are particularly thankful for the privilege to do the work we love, to partner [...]

Let’s Meet Another Fire Department: San Mateo Fire

By |2017-04-19T03:15:22+00:00September 21st, 2016|Firefighters, News|

The beginning of Autumn is just around the corner. We hope you're getting a good dose of "outdoors" time and enjoying some of the best weather of the year. San Mateo Fire are the next ones to be featured in our series "Getting to Know Our Fire Departments." One of the best parts of the [...]

Happy 4th! Honoring the Independent Spirit in a Volunteer Fire Department

By |2017-04-19T03:15:22+00:00July 2nd, 2016|News|

  New Series: Getting to Know Our Fire Departments One of the best parts of the job at Oxgut is getting to know our fire departments – each one with its own heroic past, its own story to tell. And, just radically selfless, amazing people to know! It's these modest heroes that inspire us, and we'd [...]

Mother’s Day is in the Bag

By |2016-04-11T03:52:50+00:00April 1st, 2016|News|

Fran Tote: The Perfect Guilt-free Mother's Day Gift! Mother's Day gifting doesn't have to be a chore. In fact, we've got the perfect conversation piece she'll love. Like Mom, our Francesci Tote is Feminine enough, but strong & resilient. The white body is made up of fire hose liner we extract from it's protective exterior jacket that makes [...]

Country Living Magazine Touts Oxgut’s Mission

By |2017-04-19T03:15:22+00:00October 20th, 2015|Creative, Design, News|

You'll Never Guess What This California Company Is Making with Old Fire Hoses Plus, their products are environmentally friendly and locally crafted. Country Living Magazine Touts Oxgut's Mission. By Johanna Li Oct 19, 2015 @ 3:15 PM ​No one has taken the phrase, "One man's trash is another man's treasure" quite as literally as LauraLe Wunsch, [...]

Oxgut Fires up w/Studio Bergtraun for AIA Home Tour

By |2017-04-19T03:15:22+00:00August 8th, 2015|Uncategorized|

Congratulations, Studio Bergtraun! Our lil' Ox has been rubbing elbows with some pretty talented peeps recently. A warm "Congratulations!" to Studio Bergtraun! The AIA (American Institute of Architects) has chosen to feature one of their Mid-Century Modern projects in the Berkeley Hills Home Tour on August 8th. Thank you, Studio B for including our O-type and Bronson Chairs in the gorgeous treatment you've brought to this 1957 home. We're honored [...]

April News

By |2017-04-19T03:15:22+00:00April 10th, 2015|News|

Happy Passover, Easter, Full Moon too! I hope you're enjoying this holiday weekend. As always, there's a lot happening at Oxgut Headquarters. We're psyched about the response to the launch of our new Franceschi Tote, – with its waterproof interior sides (that's where the water passed through), and sturdy square bottom. Just an easy spring/summer grab. Our Weekender Bag, is actually the [...]