Introducing Wary Meyers : Interview with Designer and Soap Maker Linda Meyers
The Post Supply asks Linda Meyers about design, living in Maine and soap making! We are so thrilled to carry the incredibly art savvy soaps from this well curated line and think they elevate any shower or bathroom design and experience. Not to mention their stunning Violet and Peppercorn candle we also carry in store and online!
We love how strongly design is a feature of the candles and soaps. What is your own personal history in design and how did that lead to starting your brand?
I worked in advertising in NYC and John is an artist and designer. When we started Wary Meyers we were designing interiors in New York, and we had a column in Time Out New York magazine about designing things. After we moved to Portland we spent a chunk of time designing installations for the VIA advertising agency in the old Baxter Building on Congress St. I was also making coats and sewing toys that John was designing. All these projects though seemed a bit too esoteric, and as we’d always loved candles and soaps we thought that would be a good route, as we could make them little objects of design and also have that broader appeal of being a common household item- and gift-friendly!
What are your biggest current design inspirations / obsessions and how are they reflected in your line?
A few months ago John went through a big Eric Rohmer phase and made two soaps that were based on specific scenes from the movie La Collectionneuse, and one from Claire’s Knee. And right now we’re finishing up the packaging for a new “Bananas” candle, which will include a sticker sheet of different graphics so you can design your own jar. So in this case it touches on most everything we like- retro illustration, typography, 70’s graphic design, 70’s package design, etc…
You started making all products at home in Maine. Are you still making everything and what is that process like?
We started in our apartment in Portland and when we bought a house in Cumberland it luckily came with an attached hair salon, which we turned into our studio. So we make soaps in there while candle production is downstairs in the sunlit basement. It’s really ideal- I can turn on a movie, a podcast, music, whatever. Take a break, play with our cat, jump in the pool, etc. I absolutely love working from home.
