HI KRISTEN! SO NICE TO MEET YOU. HERE IN AUSTRALIA, PARTICULARLY NOEL & GLADYS WE HAVE SO MANY PF CANDLE CO. FANS. WE'D LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE BRAND.

Thank you! Well, I’m Kristen, and I own P.F. Candle Co. with my partner in life and business (and parenthood) Thomas – aka Tom. We live in Los Angeles with our daughter, Poppy, Max the shop dog, and Seymour the cat.

After graduating from college, I got a job at a magazine in New York. It was 2008, right when the recession hit here in the US, and the magazine ended up folding and I lost my job. This was right when Etsy was starting to take off, and there was a huge handmade resurgence. I said, I want to own an Etsy shop and work for myself! So I left New York and moved to Austin, where cost of living was cheaper. It took about 4 years of making different items (like hollow book safe and magnets) but I finally settled on the amber jar candle line. It really took off in 2013, which is when Tom – my husband and now business partner – came on board.

Our scents are inspired by memories and feelings – so a lot of time, experience is what inspires them! We will come up with a concept – say, our desire to create a unisex rose scent – and build from there, going through dozens of revisions on the fragrance oil before it’s “done”. I work with our Development Lead, Jade, to make all the new scents and products. It’s my favourite part of my job!

Hiking trails, visiting new cities, botanical gardens, memories, boutiques, and our own backyard!

Ask anyone – I’m obsessed with California! I’ve wanted to live here since I was young. I was obsessed with California culture of the 90s, like Vans, No Doubt, and that whole surf/skate vibe. Being a kid from Virginia, it seemed like the height of cool. Los Angeles is 20 cities in one – it’s so big, you don’t have to leave the city to experience something new – you just change neighbourhoods. Just an hour away you have access to the beach, the mountains, and the desert, and some of the best hiking in the world. I love our National Parks, like Sequoia and Channel Islands. I also love the sunshine – good for the winter blues! I love the diversity of Los Angeles – in scenery, industries, and people.

I try not to work on the weekends, since that’s the time Tom and I get with Poppy. We always go grocery shopping together, which has become more and more of an adventure as Poppy gets older. We like to garden in the backyard, clean the house, burn incense, and one thing I love to do is stay in my sweatpants for as long as possible. I usually make it until 8:30, haha! Poppy hasn’t discovered that weekends are for sleeping in yet, so we’re all up by 6:30.

COMMON PEOPLE #04

A creative power-couple redefining the industrial stereotypes of Port Kembla. They recently opened Bike Park Gallery, which has become a supportive space for sharing stories and ideas. Their quirky character ensures a diverse range of exhibitions, while the artistic talent running through both of them makes the jump into starting a contemporary gallery an exciting move forwards into an emerging arts hub for the Illawarra. With innovative ideas and upcoming collaborations in sight, Xanthe and Alex contribute an asset of vibrant growth to Port Kembla and the greater Illawarra, encouraging a positive future in the local creative arts industry.