Nature and travel add a real glow to Karen Lavelle’s candles

"Spending time outside plants the seed of many new ideas."

Name: Karen Lavelle

Occupation: Founder of Soilse Candles

What’s your background?

My background is in fashion design which I studied at NCAD in Dublin and then went on to work in New York for 11 years as a designer at Gap. This is where I met my husband Ralph and we returned to Ireland during the recession. I took a few years off while the kids were little and dabbled in lots of different design and craft projects from interior design to cake decorating. In 2013, I started making candles in my kitchen for gifts and Soilse was born. I graduated to farmers’ markets and in 2014 attended my first Showcase trade show and began selling to retailers.

What’s a typical workday like for you?

I always start my day with a strong coffee and checking my emails to follow up with buyers and suppliers. Three days a week are spent in the studio making candles, one day is usually admin and design (if I’m lucky) and on Fridays, I visit customers. I take a road trip at least three times a year to visit our retailers, often with the three kids and sometimes our dog Rigby on board.

Tell us about a recent project or design/favourite project or design you have worked on?

The recent project which I am most proud of is our Apothecary collection which we launched last year. It comprises eight modern apothecary-inspired amber jar fragranced candles, reed diffusers and large three-wick candles. The fragrances are inspired by Ireland such as “Rain”, “Wildflower” and “Strand”. I wanted to create a collection which involved minimal packaging and in re-usable vessels. We encourage the use of our vessels to hold plants, flowers, cotton buds in the bathroom and spices in the kitchen.

What’s your design style?

My design style is an eclectic mix of modern and vintage. I have recently embraced a more pared-back minimalist aesthetic, but I admit to being a dreadful hoarder.

What/who inspires your work?

Although I have lived in cities for years, I am a country girl at heart and love living in the countryside now in Co Meath. I love nothing more than a trample through the forest or a run up a mountain. I usually bring something home, whether it’s a photo or a handful of wildflowers, and this begins the process of developing a new fragrance. Last summer, we spent a week in Connemara and hiked up mountains and through turf fields. We burned turf fires in the cottage at night and I then created a fragrance to capture the memory, blending a base of red cedar and amber with a heart of spice and wood and top notes of bergamot. It is my favourite fragrance at the moment.

What’s your favourite trend at the moment (if you have any)?

I’m not really a follower of trends, I was a slave to trends for too many years in the world of fashion design and it never sat too well with me. The challenge as a designer these days is to design sustainable products that will be re-used in new ways again and again. So, if anything I suppose the zero-waste trend would be important to me now.

What’s your most treasured possession?

My dog, Rigby.

Who would be your favourite designer, or style inspiration?

Artist Martina Scott, jeweller Garreth Mallon and potter Sarah McKenna always produce beautiful work which I admire. My friend Siobhan Burke’s MOSA modern salvage design studio is incredibly inspiring.

What would be a dream project for you to work on?

My long-term goal is to expand the collection to include bodycare, soaps and haircare.

Have you any design tips for us?

I like to launch a new collection, product or fragrance every spring at Showcase in Dublin, but to do so often takes up to a year to reach fruition, so my advice is to give yourself time to develop ideas. In my case, spending so much time outdoors in nature always plants the seed of a new idea and travel helps me to keep abreast of what is going on in the world outside of Ireland. Then the fun part begins back in the studio, with researching ideas, sketching, mood boards and blending fragrances.

www.soilsecandlecompany.ie

Facebook.com/soilsecandlecompany, Twitter: @soilsecandles, Instagram: @soilse_candle_company