From Temple Turrets to Tables

From Tables to Turrets: The Story Behind Our Baluster Candlestick

There are moments when you travel that stay with you.

For me, it wasn’t a famous monument or an opulent interior. It was a pair of hand-painted temple turrets, standing proudly against the evening light. Their sculptural forms, elegant proportions and joyful stripes felt playful yet timeless.

At that moment, I wasn’t looking at architecture. I was looking at a candlestick waiting to be made.

The beautifully balanced finials-with their rounded bodies, simple plinths and graceful necks-felt perfectly proportioned.

Every curve celebrated the craftsmanship behind them.

It reminded me that the most enduring designs often begin far beyond the world of interiors. Architecture has always shaped the objects we live with, and these remarkable temple turrets became the inspiration for our Baluster Candlestick-a piece that brings a little architectural beauty from rooftop to tabletop.

From Photograph to Prototype

Rather than copying the shape exactly, we distilled what we loved most. The generous bulbous form. The carved vertical fluting. The joyful striped decoration.

The first stage was turning the shape by hand in wood.

Every groove was carefully carved to catch the light, creating the same sense of movement found in the original architecture.

There is something incredibly satisfying about watching a block of timber slowly reveal its final form on the lathe. Unlike digital modelling, every pass of the tool leaves its own subtle character. The result is a piece that feels both architectural and handmade.

The Beauty is in the Layers

People often ask where my ideas come from. The answer is it’s walking through unfamiliar streets. Visiting workshops. Watching craftspeople work with their hands. Collecting photographs of details that most people walk straight past. The smallest architectural ornament can become tomorrow’s favourite object.

That’s the joy of designing is you never quite know where inspiration will appear.

Playing With Colour

Once the proportions were perfected, the real fun began. Inspired by traditional painted temple architecture, we experimented with bold lacquer finishes.Classic pillar-box red. Deep cobalt blue. Rich racing green. Each colour transforms the personality of the piece while celebrating the carved form beneath. The striped finish isn’t simply decoration-it accentuates every curve and shadow, making the candlestick feel almost sculptural. Much like our fabric-wrapped LED candles, colour becomes part of the storytelling.

Designed to Work With Candlelight

Although striking on its own, the Baluster Candlestick was always intended to become part of a larger tablescape.

Paired with our signature fabric-wrapped LED taper candles, it creates layers of colour, pattern and warm light without competing for attention.

The rounded silhouette feels collected rather than formal-equally at home on a dining table, mantelpiece or bedside. It brings a touch of playful architecture into everyday living.