CANDLE MAJESTY

MAGNOLIA SCENTS BY DESIGN FOSTERS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH CRAFT CANDLES

by Kathryn Norungolo • photograph by Paul mehaffey

On any given day at Magnolia Scents by Design in downtown Greenville, you can walk in and find Courtland at the candle bar, hand-pouring soy candles. Haley will most likely be behind her forming bars of soap, and just beyond, Hunter will be utilizing his theater background to put on an unforgettable candle-making class. Tina Rodgers, co-founder of Magnolia, got lucky when it came to her staff, all of whom are artisans in their own right. Together they sustain a brand based on design, everchanging ideas, and hands-on candle making.

Magnolia candles are made of soy wax, a nontoxic, allnatural alternative to paraffin-wax candles. Their wicks are made of cotton and paper, and their fragrance is 98 percent essential oil. Like all other Magnolia products, their soy candles are work-shopped, quality-tested, and monitored by the staff from the first pour of wax to the screw of the lid. The Magnolia team puts special emphasis on environmental sustainability, finding a use for old shipping boxes and other usually discarded items.

“I guess that’s the fun of it,” Rodgers notes. “Because we’re creating everything here, we can always create something new.”

For more information, visit magnoliascents.com, or stop by the store at 209 N Main St, Greenville.

From its specialty shop on North Main Street, Magnolia Scents by Design crafts candles and personal care products with an emphasis on sustainability— from their use of nontoxic materials to repurposing glass containers in candlemaking classes.