Design*Sponge

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sneak peeks by Amy Azzarito 31

Sneak Peek: Aubrey Levinthal


Aubrey Levinthal and Alex Kursman have lived in this home in Philadelphia’s Center City Trinity for nearly four years. When they initially moved in, Alex had just begun his work as a Federal Defender  and Aubrey was in graduate school for painting.  Since then, the two have added a pit bull to the family mix. Their style for furnishing the home has been through a slow accumulation of thrift store finds, hand-me-downs and even trash picks. Although it’s a fairly small home in the Fitler square area, they keep squeezing things in, including a home studio for Aubrey, who now splits her time between teaching in multiple schools in the area and painting and drawing in the studio.  Her work can be seen at Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia or in her etsy shop.  She also runs a blog that brings together her love of art and as well as details the trials and tribulations of being a painter. Thanks, Aubrey and Alex! And a big thank you to Courtney Apple for the lovely photographs! -Amy Azzarito

Image above: Alex bought me this credenza for the first birthday I had living here.  I love mid-century modern furniture and its about the only dresser that was narrow enough to fit up the spiral stairs also, so it was perfect.  The painting in the middle is mine, the piece on the left is Alice Mumford, a fabulous British painter, and the piece on the right was done by a friend I went to grad school with, Amanda Bush.  As you can tell I can’t find enough walls for all the paintings I would like to display.


Image above: This pillow is from our honeymoon to Greece last summer.  The embroidery was done by a local artist.  The painting behind me is by a good friend from my MFA program, Lauren Garvey.

See more of Aubrey’s Philadelphia peek after the jump!

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products by Grace Bonney 9

New from Xenia Taler


I’ve been following Chicago-based artist Xenia Taler since the early days of Design*Sponge. I first wrote about her back in 2005 and then at the 2006 Gift Fair and then again in 2007 when she launched her first website. It felt like a yearly traditional to celebrate her new work, so I’m excited that after a bit of a hiatus I’ve got a new post to celebrate her latest line of art tiles.



Xenia recently launched a huge new collection of decorative art tiles that are handmade and topped with a metallic copper overglaze. I love the combination of copper and black on white- it’s such a fun and modern spin on her more colorful early work. Mostly I love that all of these designs feel like tiny little badges of cuteness. From a safety pin tile and a crafty hardware badge (full of cute copper-colored nails) to a sweet copper pansy tile, there are dozens of new styles to choose from, ranging from about $20- $40 each. These new tiles are grooved in the back for hanging, but also have cork buttons on the bottom if you’d prefer to use these as a paperweight or coaster (please note: they’re not food safe). There are so many adorable designs but I’ve chosen my favorites above and below. You can check out the full line and shop online right here. Congrats to Xenia on the new collection! xo, grace

*You can check out Xenia’s 2009 Sneak Peek right here, too!

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pets by Stephanie 1

Human/House/Harvey: White Out


It’s been a time to “freshen up” in my household over the past few weeks. From cleaning out closets and cupboards, to painting walls and picking new linens, I’m all about creating a fresh space for the changing seasons. This time around, I’m inspired by clean, all white looks. White walls. White linens. White wardrobe. Here are a few picks for myself, my home and my pup, Mr. Harvey, that I’ve got my eye on this week. –Stephanie

HUMAN – You’ve gotta love it when you find an item that combines several of your favorite things. I this case, this Takumi watch pairs my love of geometric shapes with clocks with white. Superb!

HOUSE - There is something so lovely to me about a room solely lit by candles. So whenever I get the chance, I like to surround myself with beautiful candles and holders to match…like these amazing Jonathan Adler horn candle holders.

HARVEY – While the rugged leashes have their time and place in a dog’s life, sometimes I think it’s nice to get a little “fresh” with a clean and polished leash style. This white leash would be a great option.

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products by Grace Bonney 16

Nina Azzarello’s Hand-Drawn Icons



Maybe it’s the control freak in me, but I love being able to customize and tweak all aspects of the things I own. Whether it’s painting the legs of an Ikea couch or redoing the hardware on an old dresser, making a few changes to create a slightly more custom version of a standard object makes me happy. That custom obsession even applies to things like computers- so when I saw these beautiful hand-drawn icons from Nina Azzarello I was hooked. Nina is a graphic designer who created a set of hand-drawn and hand-cut computer icons that you can download and use to customize your computer desktop. Nina hand drew and cut out each little icon (for music, calendars, word processing, etc.) and then turned them into digital image files you can upload and use to replace the standard icons that come with your computer. I’ve always been someone who swapped out my desktop wallpaper on a regular basis, so I love the idea of designers creating more beautiful versions of the standard icons we all have to see on a daily basis. Click here to check out Nina’s website and here for her Etsy shop where you can buy and download this set of 12 icons for $6. Thanks, Nina! xo, grace

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accessories by Grace Bonney 205

Past & Present Giveaway + Weekly Wrap Up


We’ve had so much fun indulging in all things green and outdoors this week. Not just because we all enjoy gardening and trying to be a little bit more earth-friendly, but because the weather lately has made it so easy to appreciate the outdoors! This weekend we’re all heading outside again- and down to Philly!- to join in Amy’s DIY class at Terrain on Sunday. If you’re in the area, I hope you can sign up and join us- it’s going to be a fun afternoon outside in a beautiful space.

To celebrate the event, we’re giving away the project I created for Amy’s book, a beautiful mirror mosaic planter. In the book, the project is paired with the history of Venetian mirrors, and it was inspired by the way the Hall of Mirrors reflect the vast gardens of Versailles. It’s the perfect project for a spring weekend and it certainly spruces up an everyday succulent perfectly. Just leave a comment telling us what you’d plant in the container and we’ll send it off to one of you! xo, grace

Image above: From Past & Present. Photography by Ellen Silverman Photography, Prop Styling by Randi Brookman Harris

Below is a summary of this week’s highlights:

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entertaining by Kristina Gill 7

in the kitchen with: ready for spring!


I hope it’s safe to say that spring is here or really truly just around the corner for most of our readers in the northern hemisphere.  We’ve been squeezing the last little bits of winter from our past few recipes.  And now I thought it would be nice to highlight some of our most popular recipes in the archives that use what’s in season in spring–  some of these include artichokes, avocados, asparagus, snap peas, mushrooms, chives/ramps.   On the column we try to always bring you seasonal and simple recipes based generally on US seasons (though of course it varies some from state to state).  You can check this chart from epicurious to see more of what’s in season, including fruits, and by state.   If you’re looking for something that’s not here in this brief round-up, have a look in the archives which covers five years of seasonal recipes, many of which are vegetarian.  -Kristina

Above, a spicy roasted broccolini and quinoa salad by chef Gaby Dalkin.


California-based photographer and food blogger Giao Trac shared her quick weeknight recipe for a fresh chicken salad. This salad was a hit with many of our readers with children

See more recipes after the jump!

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