The Bold Italic’s Funky New Digs
Author:California Home And Design
To combat a web of unsightly pipes, Malone created a freestanding wall, adding interest to it with layered squares of wood stained in various hues. The "E" was a piece salvaged from a photo shoot for Levi's which Malone styled. Like the other spaces, it's decidedly hip. In short, who wouldn't want to hang out here?
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
An Ikea table was hacked and fitted with three desk lamps. Burnt out industrial bulbs—collected from old bus and MUNI shelters—were used to create the wall feature. Malone called on several artists from Engine Works, an arts warehouse in the Mission, to help craft many of the elements seen throughout the project.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
Eighteen San Francisco neighborhoods are represented by the inexpensive clocks hung on this wall. Look closely. The Haight is set permanently to 4:20, a nod to the neighborhood's hippie vibe. The Financial District is set to run fast; the Mission is set a few minutes slow. Large beams were cut down to make several small stools.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
Malone purchased this collection of typewriters on eBay and used enamel paints in bright hues to make them pop.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
In the downstairs space, Malone selected furnishings that could be easily moved and shifted depending on the host's needs. Life is infused in both the events and office areas with the help of air plants and terrariums (at Workshop, Malone offers a class on making terrariums; the air plants come courtesy of SF's famed Flora Grubb).
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
Small details elevate the space. Hairpin legs and scrap wood made for a quick coffee table. Two small holes were fitted with clear glasses and filled with pencils.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
Carpenter Nick Sass was behind many of the large wood pieces. Here, the base of an old table saw gets a new life as a coffee table in a small meeting room. Malone and Sass tapped San Francisco's Building REsource for many of the materials used throughout the project.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
In another stroke of genius, the designer glued hundreds of pencils to a wall. The project took more than 20 hours to complete, but was well worth the effort.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
Malone used basic office supplies displayed en masse to add interest on the cheap. Clipboards were painted in different shades of orange and hung along a wall.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
Malone's not afraid to think out of the box. To create spaces that functioned independently, but preserved the openness of the space, Malone crafted dividers out of suspended rope. The rope detailing is repeated on the kitchen island.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
Malone brought in several artists, carpenters and friends to work on the space. To keep the budget in check, they built more than 40 pieces, converting scrap metal and salvaged wood into masterpieces. Malone also issued "$100 challenges," in which she tasked contributors to complete projects for just $100. The lamp above this large table, for example, was crafted by Page Russell for next to nothing.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
Malone was given just one month and a shoestring budget to transform the space. The upstairs area is home to the editorial team of The Bold Italic. Downstairs is a large event space featuring several smaller rooms. The space is used for pop-up shops, photo shoots and parties. Within the larger open rooms, Malone created smaller seating areas—perfect for impromptu brainstorming sessions.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero
When San Francisco's The Bold Italic was looking to revamp their office-cum-event-space, they turned to local DIY-darling Kelly Malone. A local SF publication, The Bold Italic is known for unearthing the city's best artists, musicians, bakers, shakers, and makers, so it's fitting that they tapped Malone for this project. She's the crafty genius behind Workshop, a DIY school which offers classes taught by local designers and artisans on everything from sewing to pickling to screen printing.
Photographer: Myleen Hollero