The name Fluff Hardware provides our first clue that marrying otherwise anachronistic elements is very much intentional and at the core of what the business is about. Solymar Palm (who goes by Soly) chose the word Fluff as a nod to another anachronism – the beautiful yet rugged instrumental from the otherwise quite raucous Black Sabbath – which also happens to be the song to which she walked down the aisle at her wedding. The “Hardware” half comes from Soly’s belief that “there is always a right tool for the job, and [I] can't think of a more important tool than one that helps us women show up to life feeling beautiful, confident, unique and ready to take on the world.” 

Like her business and art, Soly’s life is steeped in delightful juxtaposition. Her lineage in and of itself is a story of opposites attracting. Her father -- “a very white, very curly redhaired man from Montana” -- met Soly’s mother -- “a fiery Latino mom” – while traveling through Mexico in the 70s. They settled in Boise where Soly was born and raised, and where she still resides with her husband of nearly 20 years and their six-year-old daughter. “Art is in my family’s blood,” Soly says, “My grandmother was a painter and sold her paintings locally, and my dad made macrame jewelry, purses, and pottery. And here I am, making jewelry.” Soly also notes that her daughter is already an aspiring jewelry maker, so the family artistic tradition will live on for at least one more generation.

Soly began making jewelry in 2011 just for fun with a serendipitous encounter with a spare piece of copper. “My husband had some tin snips to cut the piece into a circle, then I hammered the crap out of it with a ball-peen hammer. I then attached some ear wire and fixed a metal gingko leaf in the center.” This first design still lives on in Fluff Hardware’s collection as the aptly named OG Earrings. Many elements from this initial pair have become recurring features of Soly’s designs. Dapped or sunken circles (think almost like a seashell) in particular are a favorite, as is the dappled texture created by just the right amount of hammering.

“I really value versatile things, something that I can dress up and dress down,” Soly says of her design sensibilities. “Versatility is important to me in every aspect of my life, but especially in the products that I make. I want everyone, of all types, to feel empowered and awesome about my jewelry.” Soly describes herself as an outdoorswoman, spending most of the summer with her family in the mountains, sleeping in an old ambulance they have converted into a camper van. This time being outside and immersed in nature not only provides inspiration for her designs, but also a litmus test for the durability and versatility of her work. As Soly succinctly states, “If I wouldn’t wear it, it won’t be in the collection.” One of her favorite pieces, the Billy Necklace, incorporates a fully functional pocket knife into the design, which seems like the perfect encapsulation of what Fluff Hardware is all about.

*Many thanks to Soly for her time and input on this article. Support your neighbors – Shop local!