Candles

More about Candles

To be honest, we’re not even sure why we’re writing this - nobody in the history of ever has had to be convinced to buy candles. If you’re like us, it’s in fact very much the opposite. So we’re sorry for indulging your habit, but also we’re not that sorry because candles are one of the few things in these uncertain times that unequivocally bring joy to just about everyone. Whether as a little pick-me-up treat for yourself or a perfect housewarming/birthday/Christmas/thank you for hosting/apology/just because gift for anybody in your life, it’s a pretty safe bet that a candle will be appreciated, lit, and enjoyed.

We feel so passionately about candles, in fact, that we have an automatic distrust of anybody who doesn’t have some in every room of their house. So, don’t be one of those people. Seriously, you can have the most bare-bones or shabby of spaces, but when you add a good wafting smell of ylang ylang and bergamot (see: Nathalie Bond Organics) and the warm flicker of a flame, nobody will even notice that your rug has been mysteriously stained since that time in freshman year when you hosted the afterparty and woke up to a naked stranger passed out in the living room. Though, while we’re on the subject, there is also no excuse for the above - you’re an adult now and you deserve nice things, so take a browse at our rugs after you’ve hit your candle fix.

Anyways, back to the point. Whether you want your home to give off vibes of a cosy library and smell like patchouli and clove (check out Cocofour’s hand poured, small batch soy candles which come in lovely little glass amber jars) or you prefer a purely decorative wax hand variety to eternally flip you off from atop a shelf (we’re of course talking about the "Fcuk you" Hand Gesture Candle from CandleHands), we stand firm on the fact that there is no space that wouldn’t be bettered by a few of these babies. So, get browsing, load up that shopping cart, and rest easy that shipping is free. If you do need some inspo about how to best use candles to elevate your style and space - read on. We could wax poetic about this forever.

For the kitchen

Of all the rooms, the kitchen is probably the least likely place you’d think to adorn with candles. But we think that’s wrong. Lighting a nice scented candle (something fresh or sweet that’ll complement normal kitchen smells) can help to cover up the nasty lingering aroma of last night’s tuna casserole or curry. There’s nothing worse than walking into someone else’s kitchen (or into your own after your SO or flatmates have been cooking) and getting assaulted with a whiff of whatever’s sitting in their fridge. So grab yourself a hand-poured soy candle from Cocofour in Coconut + Vanilla, and thank us later.

For the living room

All manner of candles are welcome here, but a good rule of thumb is that if you’re gonna light multiple candles (and we really think you should), stick to just one scented one. Having a signature home fragrance is almost as important as having a signature personal fragrance, so choose your favourite and stick to it - you don’t want to intoxicate your guests with five different scents battling each other at the same time. Decorate your coffee table or shelves with a collection of tea lights in Namuos’ Scandi-inspired ash wood and brass candle holders, which you can also get for taper candles (mix and match shapes and sizes, it’s a thing), and let those be the visual stars of the show while something like Nathalie Bond Organics’ ‘Winter’ essential oil candle fills the room with inviting notes of clove, orange, and cosiness.

For the dining room

Here is one space where you definitely do not want a scented candle. For much the same logical reasons as why Emilys Post through Gilmore say not to have super fragrant flowers at your dining table, a scented candle is probably even more of a faux pas as it will distract from and tamper with the flavour of your food. You don’t want a noseful of patchouli while you’re chowing down on your roast dinner. Instead, choose a set of taper candle holders like OYOY’s beautifully sculptural Tangent Black Marble ones in high and low, to create a chic table centerpiece that won’t upstage the real star of the show here: your dinner.

For the bedroom

Everybody knows that candles = romance, and we think everybody should have a little bit more of that in their lives. Whether you’re a smug married or single af, there’s something so lovely about getting into bed after a long day, listening to some music, and lighting a few candles. Lavender and ylang ylang scents are both known to help you relax and de-stress, so we’d give anything with those fragrances a go. Or, if you’re looking for something a little less snoozy and a little more sexy, direct your attention over to Bijoux Indiscret’s Melt My Heart massage candles, made with edible ingredients like coconut and sweet almond oils, and with sumptuous flavours like Dark Chocolate. Candles, a massage, and a snack all in one - anyone wanna come over?

For the bathroom

You know why you need a scented candle here. We’re sure you’re really great and have a lot of super qualities but hunny, everybody’s ahem... excrement... stinks. For the sake of anybody who enters the bathroom after you, make the bog smell like a sea breeze instead with Cocofour’s Rock Salt + Driftwood number. While you’re here, grab a set of OYOY’s perfectly polka-dotted Kana candle holders for the ledge of your tub, and elevate your bubble bath game to the next level.