In my world, there can never be too many candles, whether it's the holidays or not. Over the years, I've been blessed to inherit some lovely, silver candle sticks, and I've collected quite a few varieties of my own. Everyone looks better by candlelight. In fact, we sit down to dinner every evening with at least three candles on the table. I place a silver charger underneath them, as even dripless candles can drip should a breeze come through (I discovered this the hard way).
Placing candles in front of a mirror doubles the effect, and the light. I love these striped candles, and move them about the house, just to enjoy them with different vignettes I love to create. I have design clients, who haven't moved a single thing in their home in years. They are so surprised how much they enjoy seeing their beloved objects from a different perspective.
In this tablescape I created for a photoshoot for an on-site shoot, even though there wouldn't be food served, I wanted to convey that it is never a good idea to use flowers with a strong scent, so as not to interfere with the taste and smell of the food. Also, it's never a good idea to use scented candles for the very same reason.
I used the striped candles for another shoot, placing them in mercury glass candlesticks. Even if you don't burn your candles on a regular basis, it's an old designer's dictum to light them, and then blow them out; a blackened wick looks better than the white wick.
You may wonder "why doesn't she just buy more striped candlesticks?"; I have looked for them on the Internet, and found them, but, being the "bargain queen" I am, I just move these around, as they are quite expensive...I found these in a shop that was closing, and got them for a song. This was our Texas home, and I had just finished making the window treatments behind them.. Since we have placed our Tennessee home on the market, I boxed them up with the silver and moved them off-site..they are that precious to me.
I love changing our mantle with the seasons...again, this was our Texas house, and although it looks like the candle is dangerously close to the wheat, it is a safe distance away, it's just the angle of the shot. Which reminds me, never leave burning candles unattended.
The pineapple candlestick behind the photo of my one, true love (my husband, Robert), was once a lamp, that took a nose dive and rather than have it rewired, I stuck a candle in it, and I love it.
A simple shock of wheat, tied up with a brown, silk ribbon, and a hint of sparkle (the leaf), highlight the photo of the other true love of my life...my son, Shawn. Mantles are a wonderful venue for seasonal changes...and candles..don't forget the candles...a very inexpensive way to light up your life.
I created the tapestry photo frame from a fabric sample, (again, my son as a child), I like to group different textures of frames together, and put a reflective-surfaced one near a candle. This is my late brother, Steve, whom we lost several years ago. He is missed. Being a professional photographer for years, I have amassed a huge collection of photos..it is comforting to have his image near us.
The "silver" candle sticks on our mantle in Texas (our builder was so proud of the piece of stone shaped like Texas, I personally, would have left that one out), I found at the local Goodwill...and then, I silver-leafed them..I am not ashamed to say I enjoy "Goodwill Hunting"..I got a set of three for $7.00!
The third of the set sat on our table (which I found unpainted for a paltry amount of money, and painted it "Ralph Lauren, black". I grouped silver-framed, black-and-white family photos around it.
Our first Christmas in our Tennessee house, (that was just last Christmas), I tied ribbon around the silver-leafed candle sticks, and added candles in glass-beaded holders, and lovely, scented candles (pine), along with lights behind the German tinsel...(this was after we had painted the ugly, brown brick floor-to-ceiling fireplace white)..warmth, light, and scent combined make a comforting, warm home for the darkest times of the year.
All this reminds me that it's time to purchase some more candles, as the ones on our dining table are down to nubbins. One of the least expensive ways to bring a gentle light into your life is using candles....I forget who said, "Instead of cursing the dark, light a candle."
