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Sighted
The Malin Opens a Moody, Textured, Pine-Accented Location in Nashville
Having been a member of the design-forward co-working space The Malin for nearly a year now, I could tell you a lot about their New York locations: how there’s often a snack plate on offer (banana bread in the mornings, cookies in the afternoon); how there’s always a row of lights running above the shared desks that were designed by two of Sight Unseen’s longest-running collaborators; or which location has the best view (Williamsburg FTW). But Nashville, where The Malin recently opened its fourth and largest location — and first outside of New York — is something of an unknown quantity to me, having never before visited. I can’t tell you which restaurants nearby have the best take-out, or what the artsy neighborhood it’s in — called Wedgewood-Houston, or WeHo for short, because of course it is — is like. But part of what I love about The Malin is how they keep so many aesthetic elements the same, while switching things up just enough to make each outpost feel simultaneously familiar and fun.
The new, 16,000-square-foot location is housed in the Nashville Warehouse Co., the city’s first mass timber building, and its pine beams and ceilings create a warm framework for the corduroy and velvet upholstery, moodily-painted or wallpapered surfaces, and large-scale art that have become The Malin’s signature. (The co-working company is owned by Ciaran McGuigan, founder of Orior, and the brand’s lush furnishings, along with vintage pieces and several Roll & Hill lights, are peppered throughout.) The color scheme — all deep olives, rusts, salmons, and mustards — carries through via zellige tiles and an array of travertines and colorful marbles. Perhaps my favorite aspect of The Malin pops up here as well: the diner-like booth seating, which makes you feel like you and your co-workers are squeezing in a fun after-hours session at The Peach Pit, or The Max (yes, I do realize how much those references date me, thanks!). Check it out if you’re in Nashville, and no matter where you are, hit me up for a referral!