Created with visual impact in mind, decorative candles offer a convenient solution to make a room look more exciting. As they double as sculptural pieces, they don’t even need to burn to give a living space an extra touch of artistic style. Plus, they make fantastic housewarming gifts, Christmas gifts, and ‘just because’ gifts. We have gathered some of our favorite unique candles to help you choose the right one for your home. Designed by talented designers and artists, these large decorative candles are anything but bland. While they vary in character and style from intricate to minimalist and from fun to fascinating, all of them are striking.
Cereria Pernici
Unique decorative candles with intricate designs.
Established in 1892, Lombardy-based Cereria Pernici is a family-owned company that uses traditional candle-making techniques to make works of art from wax. Handmade in Italy, these decorative candles feature intricate patterns created with innovative techniques. For example, the Night Flight series uses the company’s patented technique developed in the 1950s. The etched, metallic pattern features an arabesque motif that warps around the entire body of the vegetable-based wax candle. Completed with a golden color, these unique candles are a great way to add a glamorous accent to a living space. Likewise, the Spring Summer decorative candles feature an intricate pattern in seaside-inspired blue motifs. You can select between smaller or larger candles that offer a burning time of 30 hours or up to 100 hours.
Tusk Candle
Organic candles inspired by the animal world.
If you’re looking for modern candles that are both creative and natural, the Tusk collection is an ideal choice. Designed by Victor Lefebvre, co-founder of UMÉ Studio, these candles draw inspiration from ivory tusks and fangs. The series features two candle sizes, small and medium, and two colors: natural and black. Handmade in Oakland, CA, each candle features 100% beeswax and natural coloring and comes with an organic hemp wick.
Broste Copenhagen
Candles inspired by architectural elements.
Based in Copenhagen, Broste Copenhagen is a leading interior design firm that produces beautiful tableware, decorative items, home accessories, and more. Their Bend candle collection aims to bring a warm accent into a room and to create more welcoming living spaces. Bold but minimalist, the candles have an arched shape and feature two wicks. The candles come in gray hues or earthy colors; while the former complement any existing color palette and are more versatile, the latter bring the charm of fall colors into a room. Finally, the Bend candles have an approximate burn time of 20 hours.
Graziani
Spherical candles with a shiny finish.
Another Italian candle manufacturer with a rich history, Graziani was founded in 1805 in Livorno, Tuscany. For seven generations, the company has produced premium candles with a blend of age-old craftsmanship and cutting-edge techniques. Their Meloria collection is a perfect example of Graziani’s approach to candle making. While named after the Tower of Meloria, a historic landmark in Livorno, these decorative candles look distinctly contemporary. That’s because they feature an extra-glossy surface achieved by finishing each candle by hand. The process of creating these large decorative candles takes much longer compared to standard techniques, but the result is worth it. Beautifully rounded and boasting a lustrous surface, these candles shine anywhere as they burn in style. The collection features vibrant and intense colors, from cherry red and orange to light blue, but white and black Meloria candles are also available.
Ontwerpduo – Tallow
An ingenious design inspired by antique candlestick holders.
Designed by Ontwerpduo, the Tallow candle is one of the more playful designs from our list of unique decorative candles. Studio founders Tineke Beunders and Nathan Wierink created Tallow as a single item with a seamless bond between the shape of a traditional candlestick holder and a tall candle. The one-piece candle thus stands on its own and only requires a non-flammable surface. Made in the Netherlands, this paraffin wax candle comes in a range of light, neutral, pastel, or bright colors, to complement any interior. With a height of 9.5’’ or 24 cm, Tallow has a total burning time of eight hours.
Bonam Kim
Your very own tabletop sculptures, in candle form.
NYC-based artist and designer Bonam Kim created the Hannah and Him series of candles as an homage to “immanent beauty and humanity.” The realistic candles recreate the shape of female and male bodies in sculptural designs. The designer chose the name “Hannah” for the female figure as it holds a deeper meaning in different languages and cultures. For example, in Korean it means “one” while in Arabic it symbolizes happiness and in Judaism is refers to heavenly grace. Handmade in Brooklyn, these unique decorative candles are made from a blend of 100% organic beeswax and soy wax. Measuring 7.5’’ in height, Hannah and Him have a burning time of around 8 hours. You can find both candles in a range of gorgeous colors, from blush pink and lavender to terracotta, sand, or classic black and white.
Greentree
Charming candles inspired by vintage medicine bottles.
From the foothills of the Catskills, Greentree Home Candle has been producing handmade beeswax candles since 2000. Like other products from our selection of large decorative candles, the Henry Bottle collection features sculptural designs that are as eye-catching and they are creative. These unique candles reference the vintage apothecary bottles with three main designs: Bulb, Arch, and Faceted. While they are all made of 100% beeswax, their different shape and sizes mean that you will get different burn times, from 16 hours for Faceted to 50 hours for the rounded Bulb version. Plus, these gift-ready decorative candles come in beautiful boxes made of recycled materials.
Niho Kozuru
Decorative candles with an antique furniture design twist.
Boston-based artist Niho Kozuru uses turned-wood objects she finds at flea markets as both a source of inspiration and foundation for the Niho Candles. Every chosen piece of antique wood provides the blueprint for a mold, which the artist then uses to create these unique candles. Elegant and bold, the rounded silhouettes have a vintage character. Handmade from 100% pure beeswax, these large decorative candles burn with a clean and bright flame; they also produce a naturally aromatic scent with subtle honey notes. There are various shapes to choose from, including Plinth, Pendant, or Bell. Sizes vary along with the available designs, but some of the largest candles have an impressive burning time of 150 hours.
Andrej Urem
Sculptural works of art.
Artist, designer, and poet Andrej Urem doesn’t just make unique decorative candles – he creates masterpieces from wax. His candle collection is striking and elegant as well as organic and intricate. While Milk draws inspiration from architecture, Passiflora is distinctly organic and features a coral-like structure. Both candles are made in Brooklyn using hand-pouring techniques and 3D-printed molds. The artist uses only organic soy wax for this collection along with lead-free wicks that don’t leave dark residue on the immaculate wax sculptures. As the candles burn, they create a cylinder at the center; this means that the sides remain untouched but are illuminated from within. With a burning time of 60 and 70 hours, these two candles are great as a gift for a design and art lover.
Lex Pott
A creative design that proposed a new typology.
Some decorative candles don’t have intricate motifs or make a bold statement. Instead, they draw you in with a clever take on classic designs. Like Twist, designed by Rotterdam-based designer Lex Pott. Inspired by the flexibility of paraffin wax during production, the candle twists and turns to create a base and two ends. As a result, it stands on its own but also adds visual impact to a room with its double flame and sculptural form. The Twist candle has a burn time of 30 hours and should be lit on both ends and placed on a non-flammable surface. Whether you want to bring it into your own home or want to surprise a friend with a creative gift, you can select between a range of light or brighter colors.
CandleHand
The most brazen candle you can buy.
Say “F..k You” to 2020 with this tongue-in-cheek candle from CandleHand. Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, this independent candle brand was founded by Justinas Bruzas, who learned traditional candle making techniques from his father. Driven by a desire to push these techniques to the realm of art and sculpture, he created CandleHand. The brand’s lifelike candles recreate different gestures and this one doesn’t need any explanation. It’s perfect either as a decorative accent in your home or as an unforgettable gift. Like other unique candles from this list, this product is 100% handmade. The F…k You candle is ultra-realistic, has an authentic skin texture, and a burning time of 17 hours. Available in black, white, or vibrant colors.
Talbot and Yoon
Playful wax characters in light colors.
Designed by Brooklyn-based Talbot & Yoon, Goobers is a playful collection of candles, each with its unique character. The rounded candles feature different designs, but all of them create the illusion of a soft, squishy object. Made from unscented paraffin wax, the candles have a burning time of around 40 hours. To use, place on a non-flammable surface but never leave the burning candle unattended. You can choose between blue, green, pink, and purple colors, each with its own design. Or you can get the Goober collection in a bundle of four, so you can create a fun composition of decorative candles in a living room or bedroom.
