17 Candles as Gorgeous as Their Scents
Any designer knows that candles aren’t selected by scent alone, and candlemakers have taken note, focusing not just on fragrances but, more than ever, on the vessels that contain them. Inspired by the sensory delights within, these 17 exquisite candles push the boundaries of material experimentation. Take, for example, Icelandic ceramist Bjarni Sigurdsson’s Ash Cloud candles for Linnea’s Lights. The artist achieves a dreamy pink exterior by applying a glaze produced from the ashes of her home country’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano. The result is a romantic receptacle for delicate scents (think Belgian Linen and Moroccan Rose). There’s only one lesson here: Go on and discover your next design object where you might not expect it.
1/17Diptyque’s Le Redouté candle comes in a matte porcelain pot handmade in the terre mêlée style. This marbling process means that no two candles are alike; $85 each. diptyqueparis.com
2/17Fornasetti’s Architettura lidded candle is an architecture lover’s dream, its trompe l’oeil design inspired by a Roman amphitheater; $175 at Barneys. barneys.com
3/17The Bois d’Or candle from L’Objet mimics its namesake with a gold-plated faux-bois–style jar; $165 at Bloomingdale’s. bloomingdales.com
4/17Elegant geometry meets subdued color in the Hermès Rêverie candle, shown in lagoon, pumpkin, and celedon; $450 for a large candle at Bergdorf Goodman. bergdorfgoodman.com
5/17Make like a collector with Ligne Blanche Paris’s artist candles with scents by Givaudan. Shown are the Basquiat Pink candle ($44) and the Andy Warhol Campbell candle ($55). ligneblancheparis.com
6/17Icelandic artist Bjarni Sigurdsson’s Ash Cloud pink natural soy wax candles for Linnea’s Lights are hand-formed and coated with a glaze made from volcanic ash. Available exclusively from ABC Home in Belgian Linen, Moroccan Rose, and Cashmere scents; $68 each. abchome.com
7/17Tom Dixon’s Oil candle comes in a reflective vessel sharing the same shimmery qualities as its namesake; $190 for the large size. tomdixon.net
8/17Missoni Home’s Monterosa candle makes for a playful reinterpretation of the Italian fashion house’s signature zigzag pattern; $164 at Amara. amara.com
9/17The blue-and-white pattern on Tory Burch’s Spongeware candle pays homage to the 19th-century English ceramics the designer and her mother collect; $78. toryburch.com
10/17Hand-hammered oxidized brass pots house Parts of Four’s soy candles. Available at ABC Home in Ambergris, Cepes, Costus, and Frankincense scents; $140 each. abchome.com
11/17Aerin’s large Sea Urchin three-wick candle is a chic way to bring seaside whimsy home for the summer; $160. aerin.com
12/17Michael Aram’s Vincent candle is a cheery yet subtle homage to Van Gogh’s beloved sunflower motifs; $60 from Neiman Marcus. neimanmarcus.com
13/17Parisian ceramics house Astier de Villatte offers a graphic pop of color with its Commune de Paris candle; $180 from By George. bygeorge.com
14/17Ladurée’s colorful scented candles are a treat in their own right. Shown in Orange Blossom, Lavender, and Delice; $58 each from Amara. amara.com
15/17Bring the outside in with the willow-wrapped Hiatus candle from Jayson Home; from $40. jaysonhome.com
16/17Jonathan Adler’s signature cheeky panache shines in the ceramist’s Muse candle, shown here in blanc; $78. jonathanadler.com
17/17The Mena candle from Baobab’s M Project is a limited-edition offering produced with a local cooperative in Madagascar; $99 from Amara. amara.com