SCENTS & SENSIBILITY

Former lawyer turned parfumier and candle-maker Craig

Andrade (aka The Raconteur) understands the power of smell, working to create candles that trigger emotions and memories of places and experiences. Now, he’s helping light up Paddington, with his first immersive boutique called The Embassy. The multi-purpose space on William Street not only houses his native botanical-centred candles and teas, but also showcases carefully sourced Australian-designed furniture, natural beauty products by Megan Larsen and has its own fragrance garden out the back. Andrade has also worked with local chefs to create custom candles inspired by their restaurants. Take home a scent of Quay, Firedoor or Martin Boetz’s the Cooks Shed. “Taste is 80 per cent smell – when you eat, so much of what you’re experiencing is scent and aroma,” says Andrade. “That combination is why there’s such a beautiful pairing of scent with food. It’s why

Lennox Hastie and Peter Gilmore were early adopters of [exploring how to] bring restaurants into our homes,” he says. In the coming months, Otto in both Brisbane and Sydney and Tasmania’s Agrarian Kitchen will release their own candles, too. Alongside the retail arm, Andrade will also host candle-making and perfumery classes, where you can learn about the delicate art of fragrance balancing hands-on. “Scent is such a powerful medium to tell stories through,” says Andrade.

20a William St, Paddington, NSW, theraconteur.co