In rainbows: stepping inside Soko’s vibrant sanctuary
As the late winter rain drizzles over the streets of Paris, we have stumbled upon a haven of vibrant coziness. Nestled in the heart of the city, we find ourselves in the home of Soko, the renowned French singer who, after fifteen years in the sunny Los Angeles, has chosen to return to Paris with her child, Indigo.
Soko needs little introduction — a widely celebrated figure in the realm of alternative music with three albums to her name, she’s also an acclaimed actor and model. Having had the pleasure of helping Soko furnish her Parisian abode, we’ve had the opportunity to exchange a few words with her about the importance of color in creating a more beautiful life.
Photos: Charly Derouet
After years of splitting your life between two continents, you are now settled in Paris — hence our warm-up question: what does home mean to you?
Ha! For years, the answer to that was home is where my suitcase is. But now that I’m a mother and have a kid in school, all that has changed. Now I would say: home is where the fridge is, full of vegan yumminess, and where I can cook and bake, and play and cuddle and love and laugh and sleep on a comfy mattress. I do miss the LA weather, not gonna lie. But I love riding my bike everywhere in Paris, and I love getting out of Paris as much as possible for some fresh countryside air.
As a professional actress and musician, do you see your home as an extension of your vibrant personality, or rather a place to take off the mask of a stage persona and calm your racing thoughts?
I guess I never really cared what my home looked like. After 15 years in Los Angeles, Paris felt so gray and foreign to me, that for the first time, I felt like I really wanted my home to look like me. I just moved into this apartment a few months ago, but I felt the urge right away to make it so bright and colorful. I’m all about color therapy; I’ve always believed that what I wear affects my mood. So I wanted to have that bright, colorful, rainbow intention in my house, too. Vibrant colors make me so happy, but then, yeah, I do need a lot of quiet time, a lot of meditation music is going on in the house with a lot of incense and candles pretty much at all the time! It makes it feel like a safe haven.
Paris felt so gray and foreign to me, that for the first time, I felt like I really wanted my home to look like me.
– Soko, musician
We can definitely feel the vibe. It’s enough to take a quick look around to tell that it’s a happy yet peaceful place. How did it feel to choose the furniture for the apartment?
I discovered noo.ma on Instagram and was immediately drawn to all the colors. I have been really into Klein blue lately, so I fell for the blue Rull bench, love at first sight. I’m so happy it’s finally in my home. It was the first colorful piece of furniture I got in the apartment and that was the start of really trying to make everything bright and happy.
Following your journey through motherhood on your Instagram is a true inspiration to many, including us. How do you and little Indigo enjoy your daily life in Paris?
Awww, thank you! I really love being a mom, this is the best time of my life. Here’s Indigo and I’s perfect weekend: on Saturday morning, we go to yoga, Indigo attends the kids class and me – the adult class at the same time. Then we like to ride our bikes, hang out with friends, and cook. We play a lot of music together and make up songs about our feelings. We play fetch with our cat, Comet, and we love to go to the countryside to visit my friend’s donkeys.
What kind of music do you like best to create a cozy atmosphere?
Always chill, cozy, homey vibes. Some sweet, emotional voices, beautiful lyrics and tones... Radiohead is always on, for sure. But we also love to throw a little kids’ dance party with classic Disney hits!
To convey the atmosphere, I made a very mellow and snug playlist for gloomy days:
