Are these pieces of art, or can you light them? These candles look like sculptures. But they're made to burn.
Light my fire
Expensive pleasures
I feel that it would be a shame – and an expensive shame at that – to light these elaborate candles. On closer inspection, Instagrammers seem to agree. The candles in their photos are often untouched. Ultimately, the price is almost comparable to a sculpture too at 50 francs. Do you think it's worth the hype?
Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
Candles are now more than an attachment for pots and lanterns. They're being hyped as standalone interiors accessories on all social media platforms. Violaine Carossino styles her fruit-shaped candles on her dining table, while Andrea Burke showcases her neon mood-setters on her sideboard. Both posts received up to 2,000 likes. What's all the hype about?
When you think of candles, you probably have an image of a tea light or a pillar or straight candle in your mind. When it comes to candlesticks, though, it's more difficult to work out what you're looking at. That's because they've always been varied. Candles on the other hand have always been standardised, mostly white and unspectacular. However, recently there has been a change: creative minds are getting more from this everyday item. They're producing designs that are both functional objects and changeable sculptures.
Still undiscovered: candles are being given new patterns and shapes. Image: Broste Copenhagen
Studios like Grain started things off. In 2014, it redesigned its bestseller and called it the «Totem Candle». The sculptural candle made from paraffin wax was created by chance during an experiment with beeswax on a lathe. It became so popular after pop-up sales that the American interiors accessories brand «Areaware» later became its official retailer. That same year, the «Milk Candle» design by Andrej Unam from Brooklyn also attracted attention. This candle has a 3D-printed mould to thank for its characteristic spherical shape. It's now frequently copied. But the original only comes in white.
«Romanesco» (left) and «Starfruit» (right) by Piera Bochner steal the show from their neighbouring vases. Image: Violaine Carossino
«Twist» by Lex Pott (left) and «Acend» by Common Body (right). Image: Andrea Burke
In 2016, individual candles in the shape of a Romanesco or a bitter melon by artist and designer Piera Bochner followed. To create the candles, she melts different coloured waxes separately and moulds them into a shape. She leaves the previous layer to cool before adding the next one. This year, Lex Pott's design «Knot Candle» has been particularly popular. The Rotterdam-based designer is known for using pure shapes and materials for his minimalist aesthetic. Although the «Twist Candle» is made in a mould, it can be burned at two ends, unlike other candles. Since the start of the year, it's been featured in the most popular posts on social media along with Totem, Milk and Romanesco.
It's no surprise that the hype around candles of all things is gathering pace in this time of social distancing. They've always been a way to make homes more cosy. Otherwise they wouldn't be so widely featured on social media. Since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, candles have become the latest object to spruce up your Instagram profile, like beds (in German) and mirrors (in German).
