no sooner than i write about my current embracing of the powers of candlelight and another beautiful candle brand pops up on my radar, thanks to the beautiful curated online home store curious egg. amongst their refreshingly original edit of home accessories, wallcoverings and textiles, the wonderfully refined collection of tatine candles jumped out at me.
scottish sculptor, painter and art consultant lorraine aaron launched curious egg last year with her husband roddy, to showcase the vibrant array of global artisan brands they had discovered on their travels. frequently journeying to off-the-beaten track locations, lorraine and roddy had the chance to explore hidden studios and meet local artisan makers and entrepreneurs.
lorraine discovered tatine candles a few years ago and was instantly intrigued by the brand, as their small workshop is based in chicago, illinois, a city where lorraine lived while on exchange to the school of the art institute during her youth. having fallen in love with the city’s rugged character, fantastic architecture and incredible art scene, she felt compelled to investigate the brand further and was delighted to discover that ‘100% handcrafted’ means just that to tatine’s founder, margo breznik.
described as ‘haunting fragrance compositions rooted in nature,’ tatine’s careful hand blending of fragrance compositions is carried out meticulously, with each concoction taking between six months to a year to create. their natural soy and beeswax is sourced from farmers across the country, scented using the purest essential oils and finished with natural cotton wicks. it’s unsurprising then that tatine have slowly carved a deep and loyal niche around the world, and curious egg are delighted to be the brand’s first official uk stockist.
eager to learn more about curious egg founder lorraine? she took a few moments out to answer some of my burning questions..
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lorraine aaron, founder, curious egg
describe your weekday morning routine.
i’m not naturally a morning person but with a young business and only the two of us, there just aren’t enough hours in the day, so an early dawn rise it is! i take it slowly though, we make coffee and i put on a david attenborough nature documentary in the background – his soothing voice wakes me up gently. roddy, my husband, exercises and i take our dog for a quiet walk to the nearby meadow before having a browse on social over breakfast. we have a short monday meeting to review the week ahead tasks and then it’s all go for the rest of the day and well into the evening!
how does your weekend morning routine differ?
it varies, we tend to work on saturday, but with a later start around 8am and it’s a great opportunity to tidy, organise and get creative. i feel there’s a silence at the weekend where i can get peace and space to think and plan ahead. sunday, if we’re not visiting family, then we try to do something relaxing and go for a long dog walk which we don’t have the luxury of doing together during the week when only one of us can go
describe your favourite corner of your home.
it’s currently in the dining room next to the gold leafed bar trolley as it’s the only room we’ve managed to decorate since moving here and starting our business. i feel it has a lovely dramatic feel of opulence and quirkiness without being at all stuffy. it’s a gorgeous velvety black room and great for entertaining by twinkly candlelight.
what’s your favourite home fragrance?
i love the aroma of freshly cooked rice or, of course, a gorgeous tatine candle smouldering away in the entranceway.
go-to comfort food dish?
i love aromatic dishes that have hearty broths and well blended spices with a good kick to them. vietnamese, thai or a really good authentic curry, which you could always get in glasgow but i have yet to find in perthshire.
how do you like to unwind on a sunday evening?
we don’t have much time to watch tv during the week, so a night sitting on our floor cushions at the low table in the lounge eating something tasty with a glass of wine and watching a film is perfect to switch off and be still for a few hours.
where do you go for a weekend escape?
if we have a free weekend which is rare, we love to set off in our campervan ‘martha’, to a tiny place near arisaig on the west coast of scotland, with gorgeous white sand beaches and the most incredible sunsets.
finally, what’s your dream destination for a month-long vacation?
ooh, definitely a luxurious stay in the south of india in the area around kerala. we got engaged there and it was one of the most beautiful places i’ve visited – a true paradise of lush vegetation, tropical birds, quiet waters and hazy colourful skies -utter bliss!
One Response
Lovely interview! So humble! Love it!