Sketchbook Residency
Nesting Box is a popular compact, one-room short term rental in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh.Designed to create maximum impact within a minimal space, artists are invited to do the same.
Residency
Artists in Residence are prompted to leave their mark in a sketchbook using pencil and black ink, inspired by the space and location, during their few day stay. The sketchbook will be viewable in the Nesting Box to future guests and visitors to Pittsburgh. Sketchbook Residency, a seasonal program, is made possible by the guests who book stays year round.
In its early start, artists will be invited by the hosts to help pilot and tailor the program. In future, we intend to manage a more community-driven approach to the initiative and intend to help grow this concept to other locations.
This project was designed with the STAY GOOD ethos.
The Space
The Nesting Box is an ideal space to return to and recharge in after “free-ranging” locally. Close to dozens of eateries and shops on Butler Street and short walk from the Allegheny River. Designers collaborated to maximize the minimal space with creative comforts. The 150 sq ft tiny living/private suite is housed within an urban family homestead with 2 cats and 2 dogs. #onstreetguestsuite
Guest Description
"This is it! This is the Airbnb you will talk about for years to come. The design is perfect. Although your square footage is small on paper, you could comfortably sleep and work out of here for a week. The shower is downright luxurious. The attention to detail is extreme: the local guides to the city are judiciously picked, and the snacks are distinctive. I've stayed at some great Airbnbs over the years, but this is the one I would rave about to others as an example of how cool an Airbnb can be. The location is also outstanding, Lawrenceville has lots going on, but the street itself is quiet. "
Jesse, September 2021
The Hosts
We started investing in and imagining our lives here in Lawrenceville 16+ years ago. The neighborhood has grown in popularity and in price. Sketchbook Residency is our way of sharing comfort and community at no cost to artists, essentially being funded by the guests who book the space.We love our neighborhood and have shared our space with hundreds of visitors and guests for House, Garden and Chicken Coop tours, fundraisers and Nesting Box, the #onstreetguestsuite. Post Gazette, Tribune Review, Community Bulletin PDF, Pitt's Original Magazine, and Pittsburgh Pat Video have generated content about our house.Eight years ago, when we first completed our shipping container addition, we rented our entire home to guests when we traveled. We were early in the local airbnb space and are pro share/gig economy. We welcome opportunities to contribute to and have conversations about this.
In the first full year of operation, four Nesting Box weekend stays were donated to local non-profit fundraisers that support historic preservation, afterschool STEAM, women's health and regional theater.
Connected with Kate after purchasing a lock painting of hers at Pittsburgh Left show. Appreciate her talents capturing both elevated and everyday scapes.
Winter 2023 | Kate Lundy
Ever since Kate Lundy was two, she's had a passion for art. Kate grew up around Boston where she won state and national gold and silver keys through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her paintings and metal making. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a minor in studio arts.Since graduating, Kate has focused on her love for oil painting. She’s inspired by her difficult experiences in life and new beginnings. Her recent work is a mixture of portraits, landscapes, and cityscapes, which balance the ideas of mental hardships, found peace in nature, memories, and a hopeful future.In addition to oil painting, Kate taught herself woodworking and now creates her own frames out of recycled wood.Kate has participated in several art exhibits and continues to pursue her part-time art career in Pittsburgh, hoping she can one day make it her full-time job.
Nesting Box
Nesting Box was a vision of Heather Mallak and supported by her husband Dror Yaron and son. PUBLIC STUD/O is Heather's design firm that imagined Sketchbook Residency.Christine Brill of Studio for Spatial Practice, artists David Montano and Thad Kellstadt, Jim Oplinger + team and Iron Dog Plumbing brought this space called Nesting Box to be.Get in touch with us: