The Workshop Residence

Calm space that feature quirky and usable items. If you are looking for random household items with personality this is your spot. The staff was nice and able to give a ton of information. We even got to go into the workshop area! My group only came in to see what it is about, and we enjoyed our visit very much.

Pretty cool place with an emphasis on unique, useful and well-​made products for things you never realized you needed but now you WANT! I was so impressed with so many products but really loved a long denim coat that was similar to one I had years ago from LL Bean that I LOVED but lost. This coat though was much classier. Products look like they rotate so you’ll always find some new things. I plan on checking back on a regular basis.

Wow, just stopped in with my daughter to check out the place out and couldn’t get anyone to greet us or see if we had any questions. We probably don’t look like their target audience, SF natives. We were the only customers by the way. The sales person did manage to carry around a 12′ ladder around us as me and my 7 year old are looking so I guess I have to give her some credit for not hitting us despite her not saying excuse me. The reusable bag they have is cool and earns them 1 star.

We bought a lovely futon and pillow set made by a Japanese artisan in kimono and then returned a week or so later to watch a lovely small boat being built that was later actually launched in the Bay.
Have enjoyed comfortable seating in fungus chairs that look kind of sci fi and forbidding at first but some of the coolest nicest chairs i’ve ever plopped into — while gazing at hanging sculptures imaginately made from reused plastic gallon water and milk containers.
Workshop Residence is a leader in the maker-​based, local-​economy, all-​under-​one-​roof business model that is doing its best to emerge as a cornerstone of the local economy.
Art X Cottage Industry X Retail is a great evolution in keeping with the local wonderfulness of San Francisco, and the Maker Faire ethos, and may be an important response to how online purchasing has impacted otherwise traditional small business and retail — which are vital for an interactive and vibrant community.
Workshop Residence is unique and not easily replicated in any way other than in person. It’s a place for showing up and experiencing always in real time.
And it changes often enough that it’s fun to see what’s up from time to time. Plus — great snacks — and — you sometimes get to watch the small scale manufacture taking place, such as when i got a lesson in how the equipment — onsite — steam-​bends the wood in making the boat — from one of the crafty craftpersons — making the boat.
Braden, the guy at the hub of the wheel of this place, grew up in retail and has an eye for practically applied art and for encouraging local area talent.
Workshop Residence is a place to be supported, visited and frequently enjoyed, and it’s right in the middle of the renaissance of shops and eateries and soon a children’s playground along 22^nd Street.
Stop by after grabbing a coffee and a snack or enjoying lunch and a stroll, or taking in the handbags at Rickshaw — a block west and across the street, which has a similar kind of local enterprise style and mindset.
Heavier industry took place in this area years ago. Just building lots of pricey residences in their place would not be enough to ensure vitality of community over time…
Dogpatch is happening, and local small scale manufacturing is happening, so stop on by.

This place is an amazing addition to the neighborhood. The work is most often quite inspiring and I love that they provide unusual workshop opportunities for the public. I took the Martha Davis workshop, and could have stayed all night to learn more about shoe design and construction. Really looking forward to seeing the next roster of artists and designers.

I love this space. They have really beautiful handmade art objects but present them without any fussiness. The staff is super friendly and willing to tell you the backstory on the items they sell, which are really one of a kind. The Workshop Residence is like a gallery where you can walk away on (and sit on) the art. I particularly fell in love with the Martha Davis shoes (
) and when the pair I didn’t want didn’t fit quite right, the owner did some slight tweaking to make them fit perfectly (now that’s handmade). I can’t wait to see what new artists they support in the coming months.

Small space with a few local artists displaying handcrafted goods. Saw a ceramic section, some cool room dividers/​rugs/​furniture, some wooden shoes, belts and cool fabric bags made to look like plastic grocery bags.

Never before have I stumbled into a place that I felt was so in tune with what’s happening «now» in the world, in a way that nobody else has yet thought of. Like pop-​up shops, indie markets, slow food, and makers/​DIYers this workshop/​gallery/​store is on the pulse of something current. They take all that’s going on out there in the design ecosystem and add an innovative twist, turning out something that we’ve not seen before. How rare. How exciting.
The Workshop Residence hosts approximately 8 artists annually and brings them in to produce the best of something. For example, artist Aurore Thibout came in and produced the most stunningly beautiful silk crêpe dress and belt ($ 950) which can now be purchased here. Another featured resident, Martha Davis, launched a footwear collection, And another resident artist produced massive, strikingly simple wall art by embedding vintage wedding dresses into plaster and pulling them out to leave a detailed imprint. All things produced are available for purchase on-​site. Some will also be available for sale off-​site.
When you go, be certain to engage Braden, the Director, to talk you through what this place is all about. He can explain how various pieces were created as well as who the upcoming artists are and what they will be producing. Without this discussion, you might not get the gist of this place. He also has the world’s cutest, friendliest French bulldog, Pasha, who will slather you with affection.
I believe The Workshop Residence will be more interesting as the months go by and the space fills with the work of more and more artists and their unique pieces. Seeing it now is like visiting an infant and dreaming of what his future will be: all the hope and promise of great things to come.