You’ll spend more time at the office than you will your apartment—why not make it a place that feels a little more you? Adding a candle or two can turn any mundane workspace into a place you feel excited to get to in the morning. Finding the right candle to compliment both your personality and aesthetic can be tricky though. For all those feeling a bit indecisive, we’ve included our favorites here to recommend.
Tom Dixon has mastered the contemporary cool look of mid-century minimalism in everything. From wine decanters to this candle, Tom Dixon has thought of everything to make each piece as practical in use as possible. For this candle, the rose gold candle blends seamlessly into most office settings, contrasting nicely with what is most likely a silvers mac computer on your desk. The thing that sets this candle apart though is the marble-like disk that sits on top of it. When left on top of the candle, it can act to either snuff the flame or to keep the scent from wafting all over the room. When the candle is lit, it acts as a great coaster to keep a drink on.
For all the men who think adding a candle to their workspace is just not their rugged lifestyle, I present the Santal 26. Crafted in America, and poured into a crushed can, this candle smells of musk, tobacco, and leather—all the things you want your coworkers to know you like working with on the off hours. Not to mention, the crushed metal can also offer a unique industrial look that most glass candles can never nail down.
Areaware’s totem candles are a wonderful way to surround yourself with a tranquil theme. The candles are non-scented and therefore non-intrusive to your neighbor at the office. The set of totems come in three different heights, and while they can be bought individually, the set of three is a great way to create a wraparound atmosphere with the candles as opposed to the two-dimensional view most desk-spaces allow for.
Diptyque makes great candles. The Parisian company has singlehandedly answered the question, “What should I get ______ for the Secret Santa,” every single year. The Tubereuse has a lovely floral scent, but also comes in a dark red jar. The red glow of the candle is a great warming look for a desk that can often feel cold and unwelcoming. The red wax also masks any ash-droppings from the wick, a problem that taints white wax candles after the third or fourth burns.
This may be cheating, since Lampe Berger’s aren’t really “candles” so much as scent diffusers that you light and extinguish. They’re a bit more expensive, but literally can last forever and replacing the scented oil for them is very affordable. It’s why Le Meurice, the hotel in Paris, has them all over the lobby and hallways wafting their signature scent through the building. For those with private offices, the wonderful aroma in the room will immediately strike those entering for that 2:00 pm meeting.
For two weeks, flipping between email inboxes and live streams to the Wimbledon matches was second nature. For those looking for another tennis-style outlet after the matches have ended, the Matchpoint candle from Otherland offers an aromatic remembrance. The pink and creamy pastel hues of the candle compliment any papers shuffled around your workspace, and the scent profile—tennis balls, cut grass, and cucumber—are a great way to be transported even for a moment from your office to the park on a beautiful summer day. For all those itching to get out of that white shirt and into your white shorts, this candle is perfect for scratching the itch.
