Hem’s San Francisco pop-up is a nod to local skate and surf culture

Hella Bedight

Los Angeles design scene stalwart Jonathan Olivares outfits Stockholm furniture brand Hem’s latest pop-up; an airy, light-filled boutique in the heart of San Francisco’s trendy Hayes Valley district. Open through the start of December, the shop’s aesthetic hints at local skate and surf culture.

(Daniele Ansidei)

Paying tribute to the Bay Areas’s rich visual heritage, Olivares devises a scheme that breaks up the sprawling interior with colorful room dividers. Crafted by legendary surfboard shapers Scott Anderson and Skip Engblom, these spatial elements carry similar materiality and hue.

(Daniele Ansidei)

Accompanying white walls and exposed concrete floors, the room dividers help create the perfect backdrop for the brand’s inherently Scandinavian yet contemporary product range. The colorways accent tones apparent in the brand’s minimalistic luminaires, furnishings, and textiles: the Kumo Sofa by Anderssen & Voll, Last Stool by Max Lamb, and Hai Chair by LucaNichetto, as well as a number of accessories including the Stripe Throw by Arthur Arbesser, Storm Cushion by Sylvain Willenz, and Table Mortar by Mark Braun.

Arranged in various domestic stagings, these furniture pieces are the star of the show. Tastefully introduced throughout the project, hand-painted wall signage offers an additional nod to local culture, San Francisco’s influential position in the proliferation of graffiti as an art form.

(Daniele Ansidei)