We’re rotating away from the sun and the long days of summer, and the onset of fall calls us to make our own warmth and light. It’s the season for chili, fires, sweater-knit throws and, of course, candles.
New York-based commercial and residential designer Elisa Baran says she burns candles every morning, because “it just sets the day.” As Baran makes her coffee, she takes in rose, cedarwood or sandalwood, “all the scents and smells that make me feel good.”
She and Havenly’s design editor, Denver-based Heather Goerzen, also use them in projects, whether it’s a larger statement piece in a vignette or a small candle on top of a book on a coffee table. And Baran also likes to give candles, along with a bouquet of flowers, as gifts to clients.
How to choose a candle that will last
We asked Baran, Goerzen and Robin Zachary, the New York-based author of “Styling Beyond Instagram,” for the best candle scents for fall. Here are some of their favorites.
The pumpkin ramekin candle in pumpkin spice from Anthropologie ($24, anthropologie.com) “says fall all the way,” Zachary says. “It’s a warm and cozy scent.” The vessel can later be used as a ramekin, jewelry dish or other storage piece. Make sure to keep the wick trimmed to prevent ash buildup, says Jackie Aina, candle aficionado and the founder of luxury brand Forvr Mood.
Baran says her favorite candle is Byredo’s burning rose ($45-$90, byredo.com). “I could just burn it all year, but I love it for fall, because it’s not a typical rose scent, with undertones of leather, birch tree and ebony wood.”
Goerzen likes candles with minimalist packaging for minimalist homes. She owns the apothecary-inspired amber jar from P.F. Candle Co. in the teakwood and tobacco scent ($34 for 12.5 ounces, cb2.com). “The glow around the edge is so nice and immediately reads ‘fall’ for me,” she says. Leather, teak and orange are just some of the notes this candle gives off.
“Like a smoked old-fashioned” is how Goerzen describes Sydney Hale Co.’s oaked bitter orange candle ($34, sydneyhaleco.com). “I love how the minimalist white glass jar and artisanal label make it so easy to weave into a vignette,” she adds. Goerzen also likes to ensure her candles are “clean,” with natural waxes — this one is made with soy — and natural-fiber cotton wicks. Additionally, the candle is free of parabens and sulfates. To maximize any candle’s burn time, let it burn until it’s completely liquid across the surface, Aina says.
Voluspa’s spiced pumpkin latte ($12-$215, voluspa.com) is the candle version of the ubiquitous fall drink, Goerzen says, served up in an embossed amber glass or a tin. To avoid blowing ash all over the candle, extinguish the flame with a snuffer, or dip the wick into the melted wax, then straighten it out.
As the season moves from summer to autumn, Baran moves her Los Poblanos vela de herbal citronella candle ($62, food52.com) inside to deter the bugs that also want to take up residence there during the cooler weather. “It smells like cedarwood, rosemary, as well as citronella,” Baran says.
Lindsey M. Roberts is a freelance writer in North Carolina.
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