Maison Blanche...
Maison Blanche is the creation of Kristy Payne, a candle addict who wanted to share her love with the world. Started in 2012, each candle is hand poured in Sydney and made with 100% pure soy wax. At Maison Blanche "We believe that the burning experience is everything; a candle that looks and smells nice isn't worth anything if it doesn't burn correctly. That’s why every candle is meticulously handmade from the highest quality 100% pure soy wax, with no nasty additives. We use lead and toxin free cotton wicks to ensure a safe burn and have selected the best fragrance oils to complete every Maison Blanche candle."
I was lucky enough to chat to Kristy about all things candles and cats... and a super special gift is waiting for you at the bottom of the page YAY!!
Tell us a bit about Maison Blanche ?
Maison Blanche makes hand-poured small batch soy candles in Sydney Australia. The name Maison Blanche means White House in French, which is a (not so) subtle homage to 2 of my favourite things, cats and US politics. I have an beloved white cat called Mr President, the actual US President lives in the White House; hence cats and Politics.
Why did you start Maison Blanche?
I’ve always loved candles and I would spend a lot of time and money trying to find the perfect candle with the ideal fragrance blend, made from natural ingredients locally, lasted a long time and looked good in my house. I couldn't find anything that ticked all those boxes, so Maison Blanche was born, purely to fulfill my candle addiction.
What does a typical day involve for you?
I wake up every morning to the yelling of a hungry, almost demonic, cat. Maison Blanche’s studio is 6 feet from my bedroom, so I consider myself pretty lucky to be able to go to work in my pajamas. From there I start doing all the boring stuff like emails and accounts; everything that keeps Maison Blanche flowing. Then comes the fun stuff; testing new fragrances, making candles, brainstorming for new products and filling orders!
What is the process involved in making candles?
Soy wax comes to me in a flake form; it looks a bit like white chocolate, but not at all tasty. This is melted in bulk and measured out into small portions. The wax is cooled slightly and fragrances oils are mixed into it. This warm mixture is then poured into empty candle jars with wicks attached. That’s it. No additives or chemicals; just pure soy wax and fragrance. The wax will take around 24 hours to cure completely and after trimming the wick and adding the label, it is ready to be burnt!
How do you choose and create the scents?
Every fragrance in Maison Blanches collection is connected to a story or memory. It could be a memory of my childhood, a great time I had with friends or even a place I dream of visiting one day. The scents come to me in an oil form and I play around, adding different fragrance notes until I get the perfect combination! Sometimes it will take weeks of measuring and testing, but I’ll know it’s perfect when I take a sniff, and even, if just for a moment, it transports me to beautiful place in my minds eye!
We love the packaging, how and why did you decide on this?
The design of Maison Blanche’s candles actually came quite organically. When I first started making candles, it was just as gifts for family and friends. I needed a label on the candles I gave away to identify the fragrance and some key information about it, so I just made a table on a Word Document, filled it in, printed it out and stuck it on the side. The current labels have stayed very true to that first design. The rest of the candle really reflects my style and my home. White and woods are my go to neutrals when decorating and I wanted my candle to transcend décor styles and find a comfortable place in every home, not just mine.
What is Maison Blanches best moment so far?
Being stocked in Australia’s first Sephora store. Being on the shelves next to the big players in the fragrance industry, in the world’s biggest beauty store, is something I could of never imagined a year ago.
Where do you get inspiration?
My inspiration comes from memories of growing up in Australia; the carefree joy that came from simple things like swimming or eating paddle-pops. Spring is also a huge inspiration for me. I love the way that the smell of fresh cut grass in the air and a little bit of sun on your back can change everything about your day! Travel is another one, whether it’s the new smells, food and experiences or just thinking about home, I always return home with new fragrance ideas!
Top 3 instagram accounts your loving at the moment and why?
@coffeewithme – April takes amazing simplistic lifestyle pictures mostly in the same colour palette of dark wood and white - Very fresh!
@laurenlostboys- If I could be an instagram account, Lauren Lost Boys is who I’d want to be. Her original art is spectacular and I love seeing the works in process and her inspiration.
@catswiththeirmouthsopen- I cant even. The highlight of my day.
Favourite place in Sydney?
The Workshop in Redfern, Sydney. You get to learn a new skill in just a few hours and they strongly encourage drinking while you do it!
Lastly Maison Blanche is proud to be an eco-conscious business. Only the highest quality glassware is used to house their candles; so that once the candle is finished the container can be reused. This not only cuts down on waste, but it also makes an attractive vase to hold anything from fresh flowers to office supplies. Please recycle your glassware if possible.
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