The thrilling sensation of a candle

The gentle character of candlelight changes even the most ordinary of settings and occasions into something quite special. Style reporter YVONNE DITLHASE writes.

Apart from their familiar use of lighting, candles create warmth, relaxation and good memories. People often use these accessories to capture the essence of beauty, romance and relaxation. If you want to decorate your venue and reinforce the atmosphere, style or theme, candles can be of good help.

A lover of candles, Kenanao Mmeke, says she prefers scented ones, which come in pink or purple. “They symbolise peace and contentment in my house,” she states. She adds that they extend her feminine feel as a person, who loves her responsibilities in the house.

Candles are the ideal accessories for transforming any room into a sanctuary. Love, harmony, beauty, relaxation, and colour are only a few things that they address. They can calm and excite; illuminate and cast shadows; speak volumes and whisper. The important thing to remember when decorating with candles is that they always have the last word.

Since they add the final touch to a room, anywhere a candle speaks, people listen. For example, red candles silently communicate the message of love.According to an internet selling company, Candles by Victoria, these accessories have the power to cultivate appetite, joy and harmony wherever they are placed.

Candles differ in size, shape, colour and have unique names. Some are flameless, pillars, tea lights, scented whilst others are floating. The advent of floating candles, which offer a magical sight of fire dancing on water has added a little something extra to the other candles. They offer a unique way to decorate for lots of different occasions. You can use floating candles for a romantic evening or to lighten up a family gathering.

Reflected in the liquid’s shimmering surface, the flickers of a candle’s flame appear doubly radiant and twice as beautiful. Floating candles add instant atmosphere to a casual table. Like little boats, these candles float because of the way they are made. They are flat on the bottom and not too thick, so they won’t tip or flip over.

Flameless candles are also the newest item of scented candles. Not only do they lend a flattering and special atmosphere to a room, they have the power to fill the space with a wonderful fragrance of your favourite scent such as strawberry, grape, cherry, peach or vanilla.

It soothes the soul, and mesmerises the mind. Candles speak a very special language that can transform every room in the home. If you want to sparkle the discussion at the dinner table with a sophisticated candle centrepiece, place candles on a serving tray surrounded by moulds of colourful dry beans.

It is always advisable to use items from the kitchen to breathe new life into the dining room. For high drama and stylish elegance, try elevating candles on a cake stand. The highlight of a great centrepiece is to let the candles do the talking.

For a little relaxing time after a long day at work, add scented candles in the bathroom. Small jar candles, tea light candles and floating candles can be placed almost anywhere in the bathroom. Place jar candles around the tub or on the floor to help create a spa-like atmosphere.

Energise the bedroom for a heart to heart. When decorating a bedroom for romance, consider candle wall sconces. These metal works of art not only add romantic ambiance to the room, they also match any decor. Wall sconces are made to hold one or more candles more. However, sconces that hold the least number of candles work best in the bedroom.

Of course, the language of candles is not complete without discussing colours. The colour choice is as important as the type of candle itself. Colours have significant meanings, hence the need to choose the candle colours that match the existing colour scheme. For example, if the bathroom has a beach theme, select blue or green candles to enhance the decor.

Likewise, a bedroom with a country theme would look best if decorated with colours such as blue, brown and cream. In other words, there is no need to pick an odd colour to bring attention to candles. They speak for themselves.

Businesses are also making money through selling candles. Mr Price Home store manager, Sheky Maloge, delights that locals have embraced candles as a means of communicating beauty and comfort. She explains that Batswana no longer regard candles as mere lighting or grieving accessories but rather buy them, for friends as gifts. “Candles communicate a beautiful message of relaxation and love,” she says, adding that candle sales at their store were pleasing.

Nevertheless, many folks really appreciate candlelight by easy scented candle sets as well as flowers in order to set the mood.