Inner-west candle maker Hunter Candles is quintessentially Sydney. Owner Vianney Hunter has worked with Sydney venues like Chiswick and 212 Blu to create bespoke candles, developed fragrances that evoke the Aussie bush and, most recently, collaborated with Saint Peter chef-owner Josh Niland to create a candle made from the fat of the Murray cod he serves in his restaurants. It seems fitting, then, that Hunter’s latest store is in a Sydney stalwart: The Strand Arcade – the only remaining Victorian-era shopping arcade in the city. It follows hot on the heels of Hunter Candles’ shift from a St Peters warehouse into a proper shopfront in Newtown in mid-2022. But Hunter never planned on launching a follow-up this quickly.

“Expanding into two stores was not something I had [planned] this early on in the piece for us,” she tells Broadsheet. “Opening up King Street [Newtown] was my dream.”

But, when The Strand’s store curator – a fan of Hunter Candles – came along to offer a petite 14-square-metre ground-floor space in the opulent building, it was impossible for Hunter to say no.

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“He reached out and asked if I’d ever thought about opening a space in The Strand, and I was like, ‘Uh, is this a spam email?’” Hunter says. “But The Strand has such soul to it, I was like, ‘I’m not saying no to this opportunity.’

“The Strand is recognising brands that they can share a story about, and they’re really particular about who’s going in there, and what’s going in there, and how it works not only with the history of The Strand, but the history of Australia as well.”

Hunter Candles quietly joined other beloved Aussie brands such as Aje, Dion Lee and Strand Hatters in the arcade over the Easter long weekend. It’s a much smaller space than its Newtown counterpart, but that store’s rustic, natural aesthetic has been carried over. Candles, reed diffusers and sprays sit on beaten-metal shelves designed in collaboration with Frankly Interior Design. The walls’ textural finishes come courtesy of decorator Ludi Braga, and the majority of furniture sourced by Hunter’s mum, Deborah Hunter, is recycled. Even the striking pendant light, custom-made by KAH Glass, is beautifully considered: its glass is the same colour as Hunter’s hand-blown glass collection. There’s no window display, but a cabinet sitting next to the door announces the shop’s presence via an almost metre-tall wax sculpture of a Hunter Candles label.

“Our display windows are an important part of Hunter. They tell our story as much as our scents do,” says Hunter.

Naturally, she’s created a candle inspired by her new space. The Strand candle will be released later in the year, and Hunter says it evokes the elegance of The Strand, combined with the grit of the city. “When it comes to inspiration, I jump on things as they come,” she says. “As soon as we got the space, I was like ‘I have to make a candle for this. It’s got such a story to tell.’”

Hunter Candles Strand Arcade
Ground Floor 412/414 George Street, Sydney

Hours:
Mon to Wed, Fri 9.30am–5.30pm
Thu 10am–7pm
Sat & Sun 10am–4pm

huntercandles.com.au
@huntercandles