Hasta La Ideas

Steven Heller had a nice profile of Hecht Sewing Machine & Motor Co., a collection of “all things mechanical” located in New York City’s Garment District.

The proprietor Steven Hecht is the proud collector of all things mechanical (his 94 year old father is the skilled repairer of all things machine) and the shop, the high walls and narrow 1920s-era space is filled with everything from mannequins to vintage sewing apparatus, with lights, lamps, buffers and stainless Mack Truck dogs sprinkled all around (and on two floors too.)

“What’s your favorite piece?,” Steve asked me. Thinking it was a trick question, I responded “the miniature chair pin cushions.” Then I paused, and added “and the row of vintage flash light (torches).” He pointed above my head to a canvas belt of 30 caliber bullets that once fed a Browning machine gun in World War I. “See that,” he said with a knowing smile, “that’s were the term ‘given ’em the whole 9 yards’ comes from.” Every piece in the shop had a story, and Steve knew them all.

Read the full piece and see more images of Hecht’s here!

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et al. collaborative, a Brooklyn-based architectural design practice, recently found inspiration in discarded Christmas trees that had served their short-term purpose as decoration. Once they had rescued the trees from the purgatory of the curb, the designers at el al. re-imagine them as one-of-a-kind lamps:

Influenced by themes of revival, nostalgia and nature, the trees have been returned to the focal point of light in the home as lamps. et al.’s found materials come not only from holiday trees, but also fallen from storms, and discarded from landscaping projects. Each of the trees is carefully stripped of its branches and pine needles, which are donated to a neighboring rooftop garden for mulch. The fLume lamps are minimalist and organic, staying true to form. The pieces are intended for display according to what suits their natural shape; table top, hanging and floor standing. Each piece is one of a kind and uses exposed filament bulbs of various shapes and sizes.

A couple detail shots after the jump →

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This year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo, “the launch pad for cabin programmes showcasing tomorrow’s designs,” opens in Hamburg on April 5th. Exhibitors will be showing off everything from redesigned seats to entertainment systems to entire cabins:

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Amsterdam’s Studio DRIFT recently sent along some images of their forthcoming light installation for the Salone del Mobile Milan, the centerpiece of their exhibition at Ventura Lambrate.

FLYLIGHT is an interactive light installation composed of 160 glass tubes and based on group behaviour of animals. The behaviour of each individual light has not been programmed, but is dependent on the DNA that has been given to the group. It reacts to the viewer as if it were a flock of starlings or a school of fish.

While the photography is intriguing, I would recommend watching the teaser video (after the jump) to get a sense of how it actually works:

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Photo: DonnyTsang.com

Paul May is an Irish designer who is currently studying at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program who recently impressed us with his “Photo Plus” project for the ITP Winter show, using QR codes to add a storytelling dimension to physical photographs.

For his latest project, “From Over Here,” May explores information design—specifically, data visualization—as a physical, tangible object: he has produced a series of laser-cut cardboard cards, one for each month between 1992 and 2010, which vary in length according a criteria of personal significance for him:

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