from hangers to birds and planes: aequo.design turns household items into wooden toys

aequo.design reimagines mass-produced hangers

Jeu de Cintre is a decorative toy collection that transforms a single wooden hanger into playful, minimalist objects. The project is the latest from aequo.design, a studio known for merging industrial design with craft to reframe overlooked or standardized materials. Founded in 2020 by designers Tim Defleur and Arthur Lenglin, aequo.design draws inspiration from construction, everyday life, and local contexts, often working with what’s readily available to create objects that are both functional and poetic.

In Jeu de Cintre, this philosophy takes shape through the Spacéo hanger — a mass-produced, utilitarian object reimagined with just a few simple tools. By focusing on small gestures and subtle transformations, the project highlights the creative potential embedded in even the most ordinary materials, fashioning joyful sculptures of birds, dinosaurs, planes, and much more.

all images by Benjamin Helle

jeu de cintre’s toys can be assembled from just one hanger

Each toy in the Jeu de Cintre series is crafted from just one hanger, with a manufacturing process intentionally simplified down to essentials to suit all ages and skill levels. This approach makes the project ideal for public workshops and also informs aequo.design’s pared-back aesthetic and the team’s commitment to inclusive, hands-on design.

The project will be presented at the Leroy Merlin booth during Maker Faire 2025, held from June 13th to 15th at Euratechnologie in Lille, France, where visitors will be invited to build their own objects using assembly instructions and guided support from on-site facilitators. Each design is made from a Spacéo hanger, an off-the-shelf wooden clothes hanger sold by Leroy Merlin as part of its home storage range, highlighting the studio’s interest in reimagining standardized, everyday materials.

Jeu de Cintre is a decorative toy collection

aeuqo.design transforms a single wooden hanger into minimalist toys

the designers often work with what’s readily available to create objects that are both functional and poetic

the series comprises joyful sculptures of birds, dinosaurs, planes, and much more

the assembly process focusing on small gestures and subtle transformations

manufacturing is intentionally simplified down to essentials to suit all ages and skill levels

aequo.design will present the toys at the Leroy Merlin booth during Maker Faire 2025

at the fair in France, visitors can build their own objects

the project informs aequo.design’s pared-back aesthetic and their commitment to inclusive, hands-on design

project info:

name: Jeu De Cintre
designer: aequo.design | @aequo.design

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom