Ikea’s New Candle Collab with Ilse Crawford Is Purposefully Reusable

Google “how to clean out a candle jar” and you'll find 13 million results. My go-to is pouring in boiling water, waiting for the wax to float to the top, then wiping out the residue with a paper towel. Candle-burners everywhere are reusing their containers for extra storage, potting plants, and even drinking out of (if you do the latter, please make sure the jar is extra-clean—as Mr. Miyagi would say, wax off).

So when acclaimed British designer Ilse Crawford partnered with Ikea to release a new home fragrance line, the design of the glass and ceramic vessels was just as important as the scents. “The containers are not made to be thrown away,” says Crawford. “We designed them with a lot of care, and material tactility, so they are things you can use again.”

Crawford describes the design as “equally beautiful and elemental… these are things that would fit into anyone's home.” The minimalist looks are meant to last (just as the candle themselves are—they have a 50-hour burn time).

When it came to scents, wood was an obvious choice for Crawford, who wanted the smells to reflect Scandinavia and Ikea's history. The two candles in the collab are called Adlad and Enstaka, and both have base notes of sandalwood and amber. Adlad has a fresher vibe, with a citrus-y, cypress top notes, and Enstaka is warm and smoky like a bonfire. “They are two side of the same coin, for me and I think both of them are very Scandinavian at their heart,” says Crawford. The two scents are available now in tea lights and small glass jars (from 99 cents!) and the full collection will be released this summer—get a sneak peek here.

This is a more natural, subdued direction for Ikea—the brand's classic candles include scents like garden berries, tropical pineapple and peach and orange. “We didn’t want to do loud or too overwhelming of a scent,” says Crawford. “Smell can change the feeling of a space. It's that added layer.”

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