Designer Toys

AS a designer of light fixtures that are sculptural and modern, David Weeks has long been a favorite of interior designers and architects. But when he recently began designing toys, many of his clients weren’t sure what to think.

 “I’ve been very proud of the lighting, but over the years I’ve tried to change the perception of the company and myself,” Mr. Weeks said.

“You can’t really break out,” he added. “Every time I tried to do something humorous, people would say, ‘What is that?’ ”

Still, he persisted, producing a line of playful wooden animals with movable joints for Areaware. His first piece, Hanno the Gorilla, was soon joined by Ursa the Bear, Hattie the Elephant, Simus the Rhino and Hugo the Wild Boar. He also designed the Cubebot, a sort of primitive wooden robot that folds down into a perfect cube.

“The toys come very much from playing with my son and his toys,” said Mr. Weeks, who has a 9-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. As someone who “makes stuff,” he said, “you can’t help but analyze things as you play with them.”

But since the toys were introduced, a peculiar thing has happened: Mr. Weeks has discovered that they are as popular with adults as they are with children.

In search of other designer toys that would appeal to all ages — and look good on the credenza — he began at the Shop at the Cooper-Hewitt. It didn’t take him long to zero in on a set of three walnut spinning tops by KleinReid for Herman Miller. “The scale and girth is nice,” he said. “You could give them to your kids and not worry about them.”

He also liked the Sedici Animali Puzzle, designed by Enzo Mari in 1957 — a set of flat wooden figures that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. “I love that they’re cut out of a single board,” he said.
At the Museum of Modern Art Design Store in Midtown, he found another wooden toy set: Playshapes by Miller Goodman, which has pieces of various shapes and colors that can be used to create compositions. But “you’d have to play with your kid for a while for them to get the idea,” he said, worrying that it might be too complex.

For toys made from a different material, he stopped at My Plastic Heart on the Lower East Side, a shop with glass cases that display art toys and urban vinyl figures. One of his favorites was Gosho, a plump figure that was all white, so an owner could customize it with markers. Mr. Weeks said he “wouldn’t mess with it,” though.