Dear Visitor,
Somewhere in your memory you understand this feeling: The quiet comfort in having nowhere else to be.
We find ourselves seeking this feeling often, usually in desire to catch up on a particular private task or to conserve energy. For example, it might be to finally read a book that remained unfinished, or to put pen to paper to write your own. If you are a creative, it might be to enable you to express your imagination onto a canvas. For those of us who are lead by curiosity you might need the space and time to let it lead you onto discovery. However, if none of this applies, you are the type to sit and let the evening pass for its pure enjoyment.
To satisfy my own imagination, I wanted to create an epitomised representation of this feeling’s beauty and give it a home.
In my mind this feeling is of an older time, somewhere with a sense of history.
In its hypothetical place of belonging every beautiful object has earned its place.
Everything: the colour, the light and material have settled together over time.
While looking for visual inspiration for this place of belonging I was reminded of a photograph that sat lost in my photo gallery. The photo is the one which sits at the top of this weblog. It stayed lost for 3 years without any thought for it.
It has some outstanding features which resonate within me that relate to the original feeling that I wish to represent- The quiet comfort in having nowhere else to be. I have not been able to replace it for any other better photograph.
This is my description of it and it's guiding qualities that have inspired me:
(skip it if you want to learn more about candles and fragrance which is explained underneath) *
Ochre light. It filters through sheer linen curtains as the late afternoon drags slowly into evening. The ochre settles into the marks of old wood and softened cream; it boldens the colours of age. Sitting confidently in the corner of this spacious room is a hard-wooden desk. Its character belongs somewhere in the zeitgeist of 1700-1900. In front it sits a shy-in-comparison, well-worn and loved chair; it desires the same attention as its larger counterpart– its curves look weak next to the desk’s straight edges. However, claiming the most gleaming attention is a relic yellow lamp. It begins at the floor beside the desk's left side and the wall and stands dominantly above its corner-mates in the task of providing them light. The frills are noticeably one of its most defining features. This relic’s lampshade is of immediate definition to its identity; it almost resembles the curvy hips of a corset. It is the dominant feminine anchor to the masculine resembled study-pair.
It does, however, lack some important qualities that link to 'comfort'. The photograph is a representation of the overall environment and visual aesthetic that I was looking for. As a better suited alternative, imagine keeping the lamp but instead of the desk and chair (which might suit a more quietly comforting productive environment) it is swapped for a beige sofa or chaise lounge. The ochre light turns it a mute yellow/ orange that helps it blend into the room. That represents a more appealing space for most people living their evenings.
* However, to interject abruptly, before I continue talking about furniture, which is not the main topic, there is one thing I have not yet addressed. Why have I chosen candles to embody this feeling? Or fragrance more specifically:
The ability to smell is uniquely connected to memory and emotion. To better communicate what "The quiet comfort in having nowhere else to be" would feel like, I wanted to curate a collection of fragrances that I felt resonated with me in connection to it, thus epitomising the feeling. A candle is one of the best and most popular fragrance products that fits in with the domestic environment that this feeling tends to portray.
For a first collection, which I have named "Dear Visitor," as a reference to this weblog, my first two fragrances are called 'Warm Cinders' and 'Seasonal Potpourri' (po-pu-REE).
'Warm Cinders' embodies the feeling of warmth and creates a scene in which you surround a fire. In my particular interpretation, I imagine myself inside a Study. The desk and chair arrangement which is seen inside the aforementioned photograph might sit just in front of a fireplace. While working away you get the smell of smoke and the burn of clean wood. To be more specific, the fire might have just gone out and the lingering smell of Warm Cinders remain.
'Seasonal Potpourri' carries the epitome of the end-of-year season. A potpourri is simply a bowl of aromatic natural ingredients that acts as a decorative piece to appease guests. I imagine a bowl displayed with gingerbread, sliced pumpkin, cinnamon sticks, ripe vanilla pods, a few cloves and toasted, crushed cardamom. Together they release a rich Fall/ Winter smell. For it's welcoming presence, I envisioned it being placed on a side table by an Entrance Hall. Perfect for Visitors.
These imagined placements of these fragrances are written as a line under the fragrance name on the candle label. This is not an instruction as to where you should put your candle. I like to think of it more as a scene being built over time. As time and seasons change my hypothetical place of belonging will be constructed and mapped out by each fragrance. Maybe tell a story in the process.
Most importantly, what matters is that I invoke you to feel 'The quiet comfort in having nowhere else to be'. My interpretation is only to make everything feel personal and cared for. Intentional and considered to every detail.
Signed Sincerely,
P.BRYANT
Image Credits: Thomas Balabaud via Pexels. Insta: @tom.balabaud
