the strategist

The Best Candles for Every Room

It’s not just the living room that deserves its own special scent. Here, New York tastemakers talk about the candles they choose to match every room of the house. 

Candle for the Living Room
Mad Et Len Graphite Graphitum
“Its got this nice smoky smell that really sets a tone, so it’s good for a common entertaining space. It also has really beautiful, unique all-black packaging that I love.” — Lauren Larson, interior designer and co-founder of Material Lust
$81 at Farfetch

Candle for the Dining Room
Avandi Beeswax Tapers
“I use old-school beeswax candles because they have air-purifying properties and it’s the most natural wax. They smell homey and clean, and they’re great for a dinner table because they won’t compete with the smell of your food.” — Erin Boyle blogger behind Reading My Tea Leaves and author of Simple Matters.
$35 at Spring

Candle for the Office
Byredo Bibliotheque
“We started bringing these into the office before we launched our own scents. It mixes clean citrus notes with a leather tobacco scent, so it’s really balanced.” — Andres Modak, co-founder of Snowe
$80 at Neiman Marcus

Candle for the Bedroom
Manready Mercantile Bergamot + Teak
“Bedroom scents are really personal, so you have to find one that works for you. Manready mercantile has a lot of options. The cool thing is these are hand-poured in the South and you can use the glass as a whiskey glass after rinsing out the candle wax. It works beautifully. —Briana Swords, co-owner of Swords-Smith
$28 at Domino

Candle for the Closet
Cire Trudon Abd El Kader
“It has herbal notes alongside a pepperiness that provides it with a little bit of drama, and there’s a lot of body in the scent. I actually get a little bit of fresh basil and leather, so for me it’s a fresh yet very masculine scent. It would be perfect for the wood-paneled den, but since that’s hard to come by, I’d say anywhere a man gets dressed. I have them at home and never get sick of it. —David Alhadeff, owner of the Future Perfect
$95 at Saks Fifth Avenue 

Candle for the Kitchen
Fox Fodder Farm Summer
“It’s perky and fresh, and it’ll balance out the dense smells of cooking once you’re done, so your whole house doesn’t smell like what you were cooking. — Marva Babel, owner of the “lifestyle bar” Ode to Babel
$22 at Fox Fodder Farm 

Candle for the Bar
Booze Candle
“It’ll fit right in.” — Maria Candanoza, owner of Object_ify 139
$35 at Objectify 139

The Best Candles for Every Room