Hi, I'm Renelle 😄
the wattle & wax story
My love for candles began long before Wattle & Wax ever existed.
Growing up, dinner was always a special time of day. My mum would have my brother and I set the table, choose some “Mum-vetted” music, and my favourite part was to light the candles. I remember being fascinated by them as a kid. I was always getting into trouble for dipping my fingers into the wax, waving my hands through the flame, and of course blowing them out before my brother could. It didn’t matter if it was a weeknight or a celebration, candles were simply part of our dinner ritual. They made ordinary evenings feel special, warm and connected.
This is a ritual I now have with my own family and in a beautiful full-circle moment, both my daughter Sophia and son Dmitri do exactly what I used to do playing with the wax, and racing each other to blow them out. After years working in hairdressing and makeup artistry, I felt ready for a change, but I knew I still needed to be creating with my hands. That path eventually led me to candle making, combining creativity, craftsmanship and my lifelong love of candlelight.
Today Wattle & Wax has become something of a family affair, with my daughter Sophia working alongside me in our Perth studio and the whole family steps in to help at my Christmas pop-ups which is a part of the business I love almost as much as creating. I enjoy connecting with people and sharing my knowledge and love for candle making.
More about our candles ↓
Our signature Shell Pillar candles are a multi-step process to create. Each base is hand-formed using sustainably sourced shells from Shark Bay in Western Australia, combined with hand-dyed Australian coral sand. Every piece is individually crafted, making each candle slightly unique.
My background in hairdressing actually helped shape the process. Like hair colour, candle making requires patience, precision and a lot of experimentation. It took many trials to perfect what we create today. Something as simple as the room being two degrees warmer than usual can ruin an entire batch (yes, I found that out the hard way!). Pillar candles are quite the science and unlike jar candles, everything is on display. There’s no where to hide mistakes.
People often tell me they love our pillars so much they can’t bring themselves to light them...but please do! They’re even more beautiful when they glow.
We’re proud to support Australian businesses that align with our ethos and commitment to quality. Everything from our wax, fragrance oils to our gorgeous packaging is made right here in Australia.
In a world of mass production, I believe we now need more than ever things that are unique, hand crafted and have meaning.
Wattle & Wax is more than just handmade candles. It’s about slowing down and turning everyday moments into small rituals.
Because sometimes the simplest things are the moments we remember most.