Room Fragrance & Candles

There's that moment when the streetlights outside come on, and no one in the apartment has turned on a light yet. Then you light a candle – and suddenly the subdued light is no longer dark, but soft. The room becomes smaller, cozier, friendlier. And a subtle scent from the diffuser on the dresser: cedar, orange blossom, something reminiscent of Portugal.

Candles and room diffusers are not just decor. They are the fastest way to change the mood of a room from what it was a minute ago.

The Categories

• Scented Candles — slow-burning vegetable wax candles from Castelbel under Portus Cale and from Tiroler Reine.
• Room Fragrance & Diffusers — reed diffusers and room sprays, mainly from Porto.
• Lanterns & Tabletop Fires — stainless steel lanterns and bio-ethanol tabletop fires from höfats in Allgäu, glass lights from Eva Solo.

Two Manufacturers for Fragrance

Castelbel from Porto has been making soaps and candles since 1917; the scented candles usually appear under the premium label Portus Cale — with perfumes that the company composes itself, instead of buying them in. Tiroler Reine complements with smaller beeswax-based candles, stirred in the Zillertal. Two origins, two characters — both impress because they are not licensed by perfume houses, but come from their own workshops.

From experience: The first lighting of a scented candle determines its entire life. Burn it for at least two hours until the top layer of wax is completely liquid — otherwise, the wick will tunnel into the wax, and the outer two-thirds of the candle will never burn. This is the most important care tip for candles overall.