Behind the Brand

A home fragrance brand built on a love of vintage homeware is preparing to bring its winter collection to Harrogate for the first time.

From maternity leave to a small business

The founder of every nook began making candles while on maternity leave from a career in the beauty industry. Working with fragrance, creating products and discovering the benefits of soy wax proved compelling — as did having plenty of candles around the house to enjoy once the children were in bed.

A second passion runs alongside it: vintage and retro homeware, particularly the prints, colours and shapes of the Mid-Century era. Charity shops are a regular haunt in search of hidden treasures. The guiding belief is that a home should feel personal and individual, built from unique, pre-loved or inherited pieces mixed with new ones for an eclectic yet contemporary look.

Combining those interests offered a way to take on a new challenge while building flexibility around family life. The result is a home fragrance brand that aims to bring the comfort and nostalgia of retro living into customers’ homes, with scents and packaging considered in equal measure to deliver a luxury candle experience and a product worthy of a place on the shelf.

Growing steadily over four years

The brand was founded four years ago on a deliberately small scale — partly to learn the craft, partly out of necessity with a two-year-old and a four-year-old at home. It began with a range of four scents, sold through Etsy and made from a cupboard under the stairs. As the years passed and the children started school, the business grew to selling through its own website and at markets, with a wholesale operation now in development. Production has since moved into a workshop.

This will be the brand’s first Harrogate Home & Gift show, following a first trade show at Top Drawer London the previous September. The aim is to build on that experience at a new event.

The appeal of running your own brand

Shaping and building a brand is the greatest reward. Being solely accountable can be daunting, but it also brings freedom: the ability to make quick decisions, work at your own pace and stay flexible. There is always more to learn, and evolving both products and ways of working as the business grows is an exciting prospect. Direct contact with customers matters enormously — creating the experience they have with the products and seeing their reactions is invaluable in shaping how the brand develops.

Advice for anyone starting out

Looking back, the advice would be to have the confidence to act like a business from the outset and to be braver about what is achievable. The business began after a period of reflection and a need for change in working life alongside new family commitments. There was an assumption that others would see it as a little hobby alongside looking after the children, and a lack of self-confidence made it harder to counter that, which bred hesitation.

In hindsight, there is pride to be taken in choosing a new path and finding a way to manage both roles. Giving yourself credit is difficult for many people starting out alone, but reflecting on each new milestone, however small, drives motivation and builds confidence for what comes next.

A new winter collection

The winter scent collection, Winter Pine & Eucalyptus, launches to buyers at Home & Gift. It spans all formats and introduces a new packaging design for the brand. The scent recalls the festivities and joy of decorating a real Christmas tree, combining green pine with uplifting herbal notes, and the sight of bright, glossy baubles twinkling in the light.

The current favourite format is the large double wick candle — test burning the new Winter Pine & Eucalyptus each evening has been a pleasure. The glow from the double wick is comforting, the scent fills the room, and it looks good on a coffee table.

Meeting buyers and fellow businesses

Meeting new buyers and fellow businesses at Home & Gift is the most anticipated part of the show. The first trade show was a valuable learning experience thanks to conversations with neighbouring stands and visitors. Working alone makes the chance to share experiences and network beyond the local area especially welcome. The atmosphere of the show looks well suited to that, something existing customers have also reported first hand.

A sustainable approach

Sustainability runs through the brand in several ways. It champions the ethos of buying pre-loved retro homewares, and every nook is designed to complement that style. All products are made with biodegradable, sustainably sourced soy wax, and suppliers of other materials are chosen for their sustainable business practices. Packaging is recyclable and promoted as reusable wherever possible. Products are made in small batches, reducing waste and energy use by making only what is required. Parcel packaging received from suppliers is reused to ship stock to stockists, avoiding the purchase of new materials and the energy that recycling would otherwise require.