Seeing the World Through Scent, with Vianney Hunter
When we talk about creating spaces that feel conducive to rest, we like to think of it as a multisensory experience. The comforting touch of smooth, crisp sheets and soft blankets. The calming sound of your go-to playlist. The satisfying sight of a clean, organised space. Each of these senses has an impact on your ability to rest – and today we’re diving deep into scent.
Closely tied to memory, our sense of smell is able to transport us to almost any place or time. Familiar scents can help to ground us or energise us – transforming our mood almost instantly. We’re always striving to bring you closer to your best possible rest, which is why we’ve teamed up with Sydney based business, Hunter Candles – to help bring beautiful, carefully crafted scents into your home, and into your daily wind down routine.
Hand poured in Newtown, Sydney, Hunter Candles create complex, unique, and undeniably cool scents. In fact, we love them so much that we now stock them on our website and in-store. To learn more about all things Hunter and transforming your space through scent, we chatted to the founder, curator and maker of Hunter Candles, Vianney Hunter.
Could you tell us about how you got into candle making and scent design? How did you know that candles were the medium you wanted to pursue?
Vianney: Candle making was something that found me. It was over 15 years ago now — I used to be gifted candles and I found that they all smelt the same, or worse, gave me a headache. I wanted to know why. Having grown up in a family who spent their life in the garden, or the bush, there were smells I knew and adored that I couldn't find in these candles that flooded the shelves.
I fell into an obsession with the science behind candle making, and how scents were extracted and blended. Quite quickly, I noticed I had sort of a knack for identifying scent, and articulating feeling into a candle blend — it felt like it just poured out of me. I began to be inspired by life and wanted to interpret this into candles!
Hunter Candles began in my Newtown apartment. After work, I would sit in my living room for hours, playing with scents and mastering the artform that is candle making. I began sharing my creations with family and friends, and then moved onto local markets. Seeing people's reactions and emotions in response to the candles I poured was what let me know that I needed to pursue this. I am proud to say, almost 10 years on from Hunter Candles being officially born, we still see the loyal faces of the people who have made the growth of Hunter Candles what it is today.
I love that Hunter draws so much inspiration from the energy and community in Newtown. Can you tell us a bit about how the Australian lifestyle and landscape informs your work?
Vianney: We're so lucky to be surrounded by such an abundant country and community. For me, it’s hard not to be inspired by what’s in front of us! Growing up in Australia, I’ve spent most my years outside, exploring and learning. Travel a few hours in any direction and I believe you can feel like you’re in a new world.
Memories of being lost in damp forest canopies or feeling relief from the hot sun in trickling streams. Walking with horses across dry land, or laying on a green patch of grass under a squiggly gum, with the sticky smell of honeys and eucalyptus on the breeze. Many of our candles celebrate the joyous and adventurous feeling the land gives us, which is coupled with the connection to our community that we have everyday. The energy of people sharing stories of their lives — open, welcoming and intriguing. The people around us are the building blocks of Hunter Candles.
When you find inspiration for a new scent, would you describe that process as a slow burn (no pun intended) that you mull over for a while, or more of a singular “aha!” moment? Where does that moment of inspiration typically come from?
Vianney: Inspiration for me can come at any point in time. It’s a feeling that then turns into an obsession that I just need to share with people. It always comes from something that has moved me, and that I believe has the power or potential to move others. It can come from a conversation with a stranger, a photograph, an artist, a building, a restaurant, a meal, a sip of wine, a beautiful morning spent in bed, or even a memory that appears from deep within. Inspiration always starts with something that's left an impression on me, and I play from there. The desire to transform this feeling into scent is what drives me.
Can you describe the process of creating a new candle or diffuser, from initial concept to final product?
Vianney: The process is long and bumpy from conception to completion, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Creating a candle isn't as simple as concepting and then ordering. We always start with the feeling, and the story that we want the scent to tell. However, the structure and performance of the candle can take months, or even years of testing, and that's before you’ve even thought about the scent throw.
We begin with our inspiration, then we either blend or work with perfumers to build our fragrance, for either candle, diffuser or both. It can differ between the two. Plenty of modifications happen during this period — we may end up with a scent we like on the scent strip, but after burning in the candle, we feel it doesn’t create the feeling we're after, so we need to adjust! The same goes for the diffusers, which have a different purpose to a candle. This testing process really is the most important.
Once we're satisfied with the creation, we can move into planning how we want to present the candle, and how we want to share the feeling and inspiration of the scent, and its story. We play with words and visuals, with photography, and sometimes film! There are lots of steps before the candles reach the people, all of them meticulously thought about to ensure joy at the end of the day.
Scent is so closely tied to memory. What’s a memory, a place, or an experience that you would love to capture in a scent, but haven’t yet?
Vianney: I wish I could have this type of inspiration banked in my mind! For me, the inspiration always manifests naturally from what we're experiencing real time.
However, I have been working on a scent for my own personal use, which I began blending when I was in Grasse, France this year. I have a beautiful memory of an antique stone knife sharpener from when I was young. It was huge and heavy, and would sit outside in our garden. The stone would be hot from the sun, but cool at the same time. It would spin slowly, and grind the metal knife to sharpen it. The feeling of the wooden handle, the warm stone, the metallic metal is stuck in my mind. I began blending “Knife” for a perfume, and will continue to work on this until I can capture that feeling!
Hunter Candles seems to resonate with Sheridan. Why do you think that is?
Vianney: Sheridan is an iconic Australian brand, and we're humbled to be offered in your stores. To me, Sheridan's values speak of quality in craftsmanship and materials, with a strong drive focused on sustainability. Offering products that are for everyone — they're luxurious, yet approachable, and made beautifully. We identify with this immensely.
Being a handmade Australian brand, our focus is solely on making a product with our hands, using the best materials, whilst keeping sustainability at the forefront of our minds at every step. We're a small team who want to create an everyday luxury for everyone, whilst also sparking inspiration. We're striving to continue to offer a quality product that makes people happy.
How do you think scent contributes to creating a restful space?
Vianney: Scent has the power to influence our emotions and moods. There are certain plant oils that are proven to have a calming effect on us, however, we're all different and memory can come into play when smelling, too! I believe that many different scents can assist with a restful state of mind, not just your lavenders etc. For example, I find tobacco quite soothing, as growing up, my father smoked cigars often, so the sweet smokey scent brings me comfort. For others, it may be citrus, sparked by a memory of a warm summer day biting into a mandarin! Which traditionally, this scent would be seen as invigorating. The warm flicking flame also assists in a restful state of mind — it instantly eases us. I believe a room without a candle can feel empty.
If you were to create a scent that captures Sheridan, what would be its essence?
Vianney: This is an incredible question! I'm already bursting with inspiration on what Sheridan would feel like in scent… Immediately most people would think of cotton, however, I'd like to capture the whole feeling of a freshly made bed soaked in sunlight, a whisper of a spring breeze wafting through the window, a layer of heated wood from the floor boards, and a comforting hug of a loved one, that sometimes a blanket can give. It would be grounding, yet whimsical, comforting and elegant, with an Australian back bone. Shall we?
Hunter Candles has some great sustainability and recycling initiatives. Can you talk a bit about the brand’s sustainability journey, and why it’s important to you?
Vianney: I believe as a business owner, it’s important to find ways to reduce the impact you may have on the environment. It’s certainly in the conversation throughout all of our decision making. Whether it’s a supplier or a partner, we will always choose the option with less impact on the environment. Our packaging is cardboard, and mostly made from recycled board, which can be further recycled. This isn't only in our products on the shelves, but in our shipping. We've had a recycle and refill program since the beginning, which rewards our customers who bring back their jars for us to reuse or recycle. We also offer to refill their candles with a large discount.
We also partner with exceptional fragrance suppliers who are paving the way in sustainability for the farming of materials used in candles and perfumes. There are exciting new technologies being developed every day, which is promising for our future.
And lastly, is there any one scent you’ve created that feels particularly special to you?
Vianney: To have the ability to be able to express so many emotions through scent is truly special. To speak about only one would be impossible. I will say, there's an indescribable feeling when I'm mixing and smelling a new scent for what feels like centuries, getting frustrated and disheartened along the way, and then when I smell the perfect balance it’s like unlocking a new sense. It's a euphoric feeling, and the immediate need to share with the world washes over me. I've felt this a few times for some of our special scents, and I'll never forget it!
However, a fond memory connected to one of our candles is inspired by a dish my partner cooked for me on one of our first dates. He's a chef, so it was particularly impressive: a charred fish with smokey yuzu dressing, out of a banana leaf. We created a candle, Yuzu and Smoke, that was inspired by this dish, a memory from 8 years ago! It’s still in the range today, and takes me back to that night instantly.
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