When she was a student at IU Indianapolis, Ashton Boehman made soap but soon realized the cost of materials made her hobby a spendy one. So she started selling the bars under the name Salt & Ash Soap Co., eventually opening a small shop in Fountain Square. And when we say small, we mean small. “It was 300 square feet!” Boehman says. “It was so tiny.”
When the opportunity to move to the still-growing Factory Arts South building presented itself, Boehman jumped at the chance. “Now we have 1,700 square feet,” she says, “and I have the chance to expand into the categories I myself love to shop.” That means a floor packed with housewares, gifts, apparel, jewelry, and snacks, all from independent makers and many from local artists. There’s also an expansive space for Salt & Ash products including bars of soap, bodywash, balms, and luxurious treats for the bath. The soap side of the room is punctuated by a long table used for events—everything from soapmaking birthday parties to First Friday perfume classes. “When people find a small business they love, they want to hang out in there. And with all this space, they finally can.”
