Recently I went on a short holiday with my family to Copenhagen. We rented a flat belonging to (if the shoe collection and cupcake-baking supplies are anything to go by) a young woman roughly my age, and had a great time staying in a residential neighborhood, shopping, eating and living as the Danes do.
One dark, chilly evening, we were eating dinner when my mum remarked on the number of candles scattered around the living room. A quick tally proved that there were in fact eighteen of them. Eighteen, not including those in the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. What's more, every candle was in a previously-burnt state, proving that these weren't just for show.
As a Canadian/Brit, I don't think I've ever had more than four candles to my name at one time before, but I think I like this Scandinavian cultural quirk. On our holiday we noticed that the "candle aisle" in Danish grocery stores was infinitely better-stocked (and better-priced) than any we'd seen before, and candlesticks and tea light holders were de rigeur in every design or home goods shop.
The moral of this story? The Scandinavians use a lot of candles, and do them really well. I've rounded up a few of my favourites here:
1. Flag Candle Holder from Normann Copenhagen
2. Nordic Light 4-Arms from Design House Stockholm
3. Gloria Candlestick from Muuto
4. Kastehelmi tea light holder from Ittala.
5. Candleholder String from Ferm Living
How many candles are scattered around your home? Do you use them frequently in the winter months? If you have any stylish candlestick sources to share, chime in below!
Images: As linked above
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I have quite a few candles in my apartment, but mostly they are tea lights that I pop into various bowls or small holders. I also have a few scented candles but I use those sparingly so that my place doesn't smell like a candle shop. I love a candle-it living room. I turn the lights on in my lanterns too (hanging in my dining room and on my balcony - definitely creates a mood.
When I visited Denmark in 1989 and stayed in Kisserup, the town had few street lights (and along most roads, none). It was so lovely at night to see the small houses there aglow with candles inside and some had candles outside their doors as well. I'm a fan.
I have a few thick ones (in jars and free standing), a handful of tealights in containers, and tapers. I keep a stash in a box in the living room. They're perfect for when I have guests over.
I have an "alfresco dinner/emergency power outage" metal bucket containing 15 or so small candles in mason jars, a box of extra candles, and a plastic container of matches. It came in super handy when we used to have a weekly, rooftop dinner for 10, but it hasn't seen much use lately. We don't have a single decorative or scented candle. . .though the Sydney Hale co. is causing me to reconsider that of late.
I was actually inspired to use lots of candles around my apartment after seeing so many lovely candlelit homes on Swedish real estate sites. I mostly use white, unscented candles in these and these. I also like white fairy lights for areas where candles would be impractical.
I recently took a trip to Oslo and the only souvenir I could afford were candles. Love their candles! Just fyi though, if you go with candles in glass, pull them out of your carry-on otherwise every single security check point will think they are liquids and freak out.
I've always had a thing for candlesticks & candles; silver,glass,pottery,matters not- I have a large assortment . There's always a good assortment at my local thrifts & fleas and I can't resist. During the holidays we probably had 20+ candles in our living room alone- their soft light is magical.
Love this! I'm a big fan of candles and use them throughout my home including in the bathroom.
I want holder #2 for use around the home during the year and then for my advent candles - love being able to use something for more than one season/purpose!
I recently moved to Sweden and was immediately struck by how many candles are used here. In particular, I love that many shops have them burning outside their doorways in large lanterns during the dark winter months. Many cafes and restaurants will have them burning in the middle of the afternoon! It makes everything feel so warm and cozy.
my mother-in-law gave me something just like this darling tea light holder, from Olsen's, a wonderful Scandanavian store in Minneapolis:
http://www.signals.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?action=DETAIL&ITEM=HL9062
the heat from the candle really does make the mobile spin around, it's lovely and a bit magical.
I lived in Denmark for a year and a half, and lighting candles is a must in the winter! It gets dark so early (and light so late in the mornings!) that you need the extra light and coziness that candles provide. They call this "hygge" (hoo-guh), and it's wonderful!
My two favorite candles resemble a cup of tea and a hand held juicer. I love them because both forms incorporate a handle so I can carry them around easily just like those ye-olde-candles in movies. And they are "life-sized", I've been using them for every power outage for the last 7 years (we have quite a few) and they are maybe half gone. And they are unscented. I find I somehow don't enjoy a dozen different scents floating around at one time during an outage. :)