See Why Celebrities Love These Ceramic Wall Hangings By Heather Levine
When it comes to one-of-a-kind ceramic lighting, there's one name in particular you need to know (if you don't already): Heather Levine. Her work is popular among designers like Jeff Andrews-he has some of her pieces in his own Los Angeles home-as well as celebrities like Kristen Bell, Alanis Morissette, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, all three of whom have recently acquired pieces from Levine's collection. Plus, you can find her work outfitting spaces like The Standard East Village in New York City, and Le Mary Celeste in Paris. But, it might surprise you to learn that she was on a totally different career path before starting her business.
Ceramics really started as a hobby for Levine, who first started working with clay when she was in high school and continued through college. "I moved to Los Angeles in 1994 and have always had a ceramic studio either in my house, or a membership at a communal studio," Levine tells House Beautiful. She'd make decorative pieces to gift to friends, and would throw the occasional holiday sale for friends as well, but her career was actually in a completely different field.
A post shared by Heather Levine (@heatherlevineceramics) on May 14, 2017 at 11:12am PDT
"I used to work in advertising and the travel got very difficult once I was pregnant, so my plan B of working solely in ceramics was a combination of lots of experience and the perfect timing," Levine explains.
Since then, Levine has been making ceramic table lamps, pendant lights, and chandeliers, as well as other pieces like wall hangings at her studio in Glendale. All of her pieces are completely one-of-a-kind, not to mention totally stunning, featuring intricate cut-outs and textures that add warmth and interest to just about any space.
Alongside her lighting options, Levine's unique wall hangings have also gained her quite the following over the years, with people lining up around the block for them every time she holds her annual sale. But they actually started out as sort of a happy accident, since they're made from the pieces she cuts out while making her lamps.
"Initially, about nine years ago I was making the lamps and saving the cut-outs; I liked the shapes and it felt like I needed to save them," she explains. "So the cut-out parts stayed in a plastic bin for a long time. Then one day I cleaned the parts up, put holes in them, fired them, and liked them as objects. So I starting to string them together on a simple string."
Levine hung that first wall-hanging from a lemon tree outside her home, and as more and more friends mentioned how much they liked it, she started making more to sell to them. One friend in particular, Levine mentions, was Kathryn Bentley of Dream Collective. Bentley was opening her store in Silver Lake, and used Levine's wall hangings as a focal point in the shop.
"Kathryn hung a large collection of the wall hangings in the the center of the store and people were very attracted to them," Levine says.
The wall-hangings may have been an unexpected creation-turned-success, but for Levine, that makes sense-her work is all about the unexpected, and she likes it that way.
Hello!! #hotfromthekiln She is available. DM me for details if interested!!
A post shared by Heather Levine (@heatherlevineceramics) on Jul 31, 2018 at 9:35am PDT
"The most exciting part of the ceramic process is the unexpected results that happen in the gas kiln," Levine says of her process. "The results often surprise me, and the surprise often makes the piece more beautiful."
You can shop some of our favorite pieces by Heather Levine below, or head to her website-she also fulfills custom orders if you're hunting for something really special. The price point for her wall hangings varies by design, while pendant lamps range from $675 for small pendants to $1,125 for large pendants. Chandelier pricing is are available upon request.
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