Scenting your home

Our new range of scented candles, made from natural ingredients, create a fresh and homely ambience.

As the nights draw in, it’s time to wax lyrical about candles – and, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love them? Whatever the mood: romantic, relaxing or energising, a candle can help to enhance it, making it the perfect accessory to pleasure.

In the bathroom, bedroom, living or dining room, the flicker and fragrance of a scented candle adds warmth and ambience, evoking anything from a Scandinavian winter’s walk to summer in Sicily. 

Fragrances range from floral, fruity, sweet and citrussy to fresh, green, spicy and woody, so there’s something for everyone and for every season.

Our small soy candles (£5.95) have a burn time of around 15 hours and come in a variety of fragrances, from subtle pomegranate to cool cucumber & mint and tropical coconut.

Shedding light on the past
We’ve been burning candles for around 3,000 years. Back in Ancient Rome, rolled papyrus was dipped in melted animal fat (tallow) to light up religious ceremonies and homes.

During the Middle Ages in Europe, beeswax candles were introduced. Unlike tallow, beeswax burned cleanly, without a smoky flame. It also emitted a pleasant sweet smell rather than the foul, acrid odour of animal fat. But beeswax was prohibitively expensive, so only the wealthy could afford to burn these candles in the home.

Candlemania
Today, although we don’t need them for practical purposes, we Brits are like moths to the flame of the humble candle. According to a recent report, UK consumers buy an average of six candles per year at £7.40 a go, meaning the country collectively spends £1.9bn on them annually.

In keeping with this trend, we have introduced a new range of hand-blended, hand-poured and hand-packaged scented candles and reed diffusers using the most exclusive and natural ingredients available.

They're made by a company based just down the road from our showroom in Surrey, Parkminster Products, which is very much a cottage industry and prides itself on its use of quality and sustainable materials.

Larger sized soy candles (£19.95) with a burn time of around 60 hours are available in lemongrass and pomegranate fragrances. The glass containers can even be re-used as tumblers.

All the candles and diffusers are made in small batches in its Sussex workshop, using natural plant-based ingredients only: essential oils, soy wax and other sustainable ingredients, so they’re cleaner and healthier to burn.

We've used Parkminster candles for years in our showroom and at home and we love them. You can have fun experimenting with the different fragrances in various rooms and finding out which suits the space best, or figuring out what kind of atmosphere you want to create when you have guests over. 

Fresh fig, for example, can help keep you mentally alert in the office, coconut is sweet and pampering in the bathroom and lavender relaxing in the bedroom. Cucumber and mint is light and clean in the kitchen. 

The candles and diffusers also make ideal gifts for teachers or dinner party hosts, or just for yourself!

Our reed diffusers (£19.95) in either fresh fig or pomegranate will last for up to 3 months.