Strangely Enough
Jade Bess, Strange Wicks
Shadow Daddy. Probably Reading Smut. Freak Show.
Believe it or not, we’re talking candle names here. Specifically, Strange Wicks candles.
Jade Bess began the company in 2020 with her husband, Jerret, and the unique combination of enjoyable scents, quippy names and the attractive presentation of the candles have helped Strange Wicks become a mainstay at the Chattanooga Market and local businesses around town.
“More than anything, I’m a fan of everything,” says Bess. Never has such a vague statement rung more true. On the Strange Wicks website, you’ll find candles dedicated to the Harry Potter franchise (eight of them, to be exact), Taylor Swift, Breaking Bad and Jane Austen, among many others.
But how does Bess create a candle that smells like Jane Austen? She certainly can’t travel back to 1812 and give Jane a sniff. Instead, she gets resourceful, using context clues.
Take the “Gallavich” candle, for example, inspired by the Netflix series “Shameless.” “There’s a scene in the show where a character says that Jack Daniel’s and orange juice go together better than you would think, and he’s referring to the characters that the candle is inspired by,” Bess says. “So I made the candle smell like Jack Daniel’s and orange juice, which you would think wouldn’t smell good, but it actually does!”
Sometimes, Bess admits, she has to “go off vibes” for her scents. “But my favorite compliment at the markets is when people pick up the candle and they say, ‘That is exactly what I think that person would smell like,'” she says.
Strange Wicks candles are an embodiment of Bess’s interests. She loves Harry Potter (“I’m a Ravenclaw!”) and highlights the Sorting Candle as a crowd-pleaser. After about 10 hours of burning, the white wax gives way to either red, green, blue or yellow, the four colors that differentiate the Hogwarts houses in the popular book series.
Most of Bess’s candles have some sort of added creative element, whether it’s the Sorting Candle or the Damon Salvatore Candle, which features a blood-stained vampire tooth surrounding the wick. “A lot of people decide they’re going to buy the candle before they’ve even smelled it because of what it says or the way it looks,” Bess says. “If you’re a big enough fan of these things, it’s almost like a collectible item.”
Find her candles at the Chattanooga Market or at strangewicks.com.
Like a House on Fire
Emily Warr, The Rustic House candles
Emily Warr has acquired the nickname “Nose” by her friends, and considering that she’s spent the past decade building The Rustic House candle company into the recognizable Chattanooga brand it is today, she’s earned it.
Like so many local Chattanooga businesses, Warr and The Rustic House got their start at the Chattanooga Market in 2013. While Warr had confidence in her vision, others were skeptical.
“My dad was like, ‘Please don’t start a candle company. I got you a degree and helped you through school; you need to go get a job.’ And I was like, I don’t know what you’re missing, but I’m starting a candle company,” Warr says.
Today, The Rustic House balances both a global and local presence, appearing in over 400 locations nationwide and six locations internationally, while also continuing to serve the local community with a booth at the Chattanooga Market.
The success has allowed Warr to establish partnerships with nonprofits like A Step Ahead, an organization that provides access to free birth control.
Proceeds go to A Step Ahead with the purchase of the “Signature Scent” candle, which emits a scent very personal to Warr. When asked about the story behind it, she brought out a framed letter that included a photo of her with her dad. The words reveal that upon her mom’s passing when she was a teenager, Warr was gifted a bottle of perfume from her dad — a perfume whose scent Warr fell in love with and would only wear on special occasions. Years later, when she was beginning The Rustic House, an idea emerged. “I sent it to my chemist, and they were able to duplicate the scent, so that’s how it started.”
It was coined the Signature Scent in 2013, and the blend of lavender, bergamot and amber remains the company’s number one best-selling candle today.
While reminiscing on the beginnings of The Rustic House, Warr recalls the expectations she had had for herself. “I envisioned us being in stores nationwide,” she says. “My dreams have come true, and it’s kind of a weird feeling when that happens, because you don’t know what’s next.”
Find her candles at shoprustichouse.com.