Designer spotlight
Support independent businesses and meet the creatives making waves in the interiors world. This month, we’re talking statement candles that’ll help you cosy up your home in style
The independent businesses getting creative with candles
NÙCE LONDON
Hands up if you’ve spent an, erm, unprecedented amount of money on candles over the past year? Us too! They’ve become a way of making the everyday a little more special, whether you’ve been setting them at the table with dinner or recreating those stylish-looking Instagram bathroom shots by piling them up around the bath (a safety hazard in the making, FYI). And from this year has emerged a fresh new trend: sculptural candles. More time to indulge in creative hobbies has led to a wave of new businesses offering beautiful statement products, and as a result, our mantelpieces and side tables have never looked so good. One of the designers making innovate things with wax is Costanza Sofia of Nùce London. Her composable candles are made to be stacked on top of each other in your perfect colour combination, while her magnetic candle holders can be assembled to your design. We spoke to Costanza to find out how she got started.
Q How would you describe your business in a sentence?
A I design and create candles and objects with a story to tell, trying to minimise their impact on the environment.
Q Where did the inspiration to start your business come from?
A Since I graduated from university in 2017 I’ve been working as a freelance trend editor. Despite loving this job, I’ve found myself aching for the opportunity to express my creativity in a more tangible way, outside of clients’ briefs and according to my timings.
Last year, as with many others during the pandemic, I’ve found the courage to give it a go and never looked back since.
Q What’s your favourite thing about what you do?
A Having complete freedom in the creative process and seeing ideas – even the weirdest ones – coming to life and becoming real things. I’ve always been an avid user of candles, but for this project I wanted to create something different – not only aesthetically pleasing but with some kind of narrative behind it.
Q What has been your proudest moment – or moments – so far?
A Every time we launch a new design and people appreciate it or show enthusiasm about it, that means a lot and gives me the boost to keep creating. It can be difficult at times running a creative business that doesn’t necessarily conform to the latest trends, but seeing the first returning customers was one of the best feelings I can remember.
Q If you had to pick just one of your pieces, what would be your favourite?
A I love our candles, but I’d have to say the candle holder sets, mostly because of the concept behind them.
The idea of having a bunch of pieces with which you can create a countless number of designs and always have a different piece to style your candles around the house really blows my mind. The whole concept was developed together with my dad, after a provisional prop he created to style our first candles, the ‘Aromatiche Set’. He then kept helping me out from Italy with the creation of the prototypes and is still of great support to this day.
Q Anything else we need to know?
A Each collection is produced in limited quantities and each piece is handcrafted in London. For our candles, we’re committed to using natural and ethically sourced materials only. Quality and exploration over quantity is our motto, so we decided to embrace a slow and transparent approach for our creations, which we believe is more sustainable for the world we live in now.