When founder Araks Yeramyan set out to make soaps for our Gift Shop this year, she gave herself the brief of celebrating color and ritual — without relying on scent.
Here in New York with her two sons in the city, she hand-crafted a series of three soaps that invite a subtle sort of sensory attention.
The famed pink wall in Casa Barragán’s courtyard is a stroke of color that defines the space. Barragán mixed pigments by hand to get this signature hue—balanced precisely to shift with the sun throughout the day.
On sensory attention and Luis Barragán with Araks Yeramyan
Minimal in design, each bar pairs two complementary hues together in bands of opaque and translucent pigment, leaving the naked color as the sole statement. This satisfying simplicity was influenced by the color studies of Luis Barragán, a prominent figure in Modern Mexican architecture. Barragan used planes of vibrant hues–pink, yellow, and red–to imbue meaning and add dimension to spaces. Below, we spoke with Araks about her bathing rituals, joyful austerity, and how she spends her time between 6pm and 8am.
"My house is pretty neutral, with only winks of color—a big teal couch and some handblown sconces." Photo by Matthew Williams
What inspired you to make these soaps?
The bones of my house are neutral, so these soaps became an easy way to inject color into the space—much like wearing colorful lingerie can introduce small doses of color into an otherwise understated wardrobe. These bars of blocked color are a nice way to brighten the bathroom, a room that tends to get washed in beige and white.
Washing your hands is a moment to pause, like a mini meditation in your day. I like the feeling of the water hitting my hands, and the color swooshing is very therapeutic. It brings me joy.
What are your bathing rituals like at home?
Pre-kids I took a bath every night before bed. It started when I was living in London and had no shower. Now I take them when I feel stressed and need to relax. These soaps are part of this medley of pretty things that color my view from inside the tub. Beside them is an Elsa Perreti dish with crystals that I got from a healer in Brazil and a few beautiful Hermes shampoo bottles. Four cups of Epsom salt and a few drops of lavender oil in that hot water and it’s a night well spent.
What else might we find on your vanity or bathroom sink?
Castor oil for my little wrinkles; apricot and clove oil too. A waterpik, Welda salt toothpaste, clean mascara, a Tata Harper cheek tint. A Maison Pearson bristle brush that I swear by and shea butter for when my hair feels unruly.
The color story of Soap No.1 offers a creamsicle pairing of yellow and pink opaque and translucent pigment. It's Araks' favorite of the three.
Not too far off from the blocked pigment of these soaps is this stellar bookshelf by Ettore Sottsass that dates back to 1994.
Though bold in color, these soaps are free of scent. What brought you to that choice?
I wanted it to be strictly about color without the distraction of scent. I can also be wary of scents, unless they are super natural, so I’m accustomed to the purity of unscented product.
How did you come to discover Luis Barragán’s work, and what about his approach resonates with you?
I’ve always been a fan, but I went to Mexico City for a wedding—my brother-in-law’s—and they rented one of his houses for a party. I spent the whole day there, studying every corner. I lived and breathed the details. It was so simple, yet every inch felt considered. The approach to color felt minimal and maximal at the same time.
There’s a balance of minimalism and expression in these soaps, much like Barragán’s use of light and form. What are some of your other favorite articulations of color in architecture or design?
I love big swaths of color. Ettore Sottsass informed me most in terms of color and design. Rachel Whiteread and Adolf Loos too.
"The bones of my house are neutral, so these soaps became an easy way to inject color into the space—much like wearing colorful lingerie can introduce small doses of color into an otherwise understated wardrobe." Photo by Matthew Williams
What are the most colorful corners of your home?
My house is pretty neutral, with only winks of color—a big teal couch and some handblown sconces. When you enter, you immediately see my thread wall: it’s a huge rainbow of thread, and it really sets the mood when I come home.
Shop objects to treasure in every shade:
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