The Story Behind Hemlock & Hearth

A candle is never just a candle.

There’s a moment when scent becomes memory. When warmth flickers into ritual. When a spark of creativity becomes something deeper. That’s where Hemlock & Hearth began.

Created from a need to exercise my creativity & make something meaningful, this brand didn’t start with a polished plan. It started with an itch to create, to explore my love of fragrance, and to give myself permission to try.

A Need to Create. A Chance to Begin.

For years, I burned candles almost religiously. I was always chasing the next scent that could shift the energy of a space or help me feel a little more like myself. In 2024, I decided to try making my own. It was trial and error in the truest sense. The wicks weren’t right. The fragrance didn’t always throw the way I hoped. The jars gave me trouble. It was frustrating.

But it was also exciting. I found myself pouring more than just wax into those jars. I was pouring in mood, memory, and meaning. I shared candles as gifts, and the responses reminded me that scent is powerful. It resonates in a way nothing else does.

Why Hemlock? Why Hearth?

The name came to me during a quiet moment of reflection. I wanted something that spoke to both the shadow and the light, the wild and the safe.

Hemlock is misunderstood. It has a reputation for being dangerous, but it is also ancient, sacred, and rooted in lore.
Hearth is home. It is the place where warmth lives, where stories are shared, and where stillness is found.

Together, Hemlock & Hearth represents duality. It holds the beauty in contradiction. Mystery and comfort. Stillness and fire. That is the heart of this brand.

More Than Just a Candle

Hemlock & Hearth is rooted in ritual. In slowness. In sensory storytelling. In creating something that feels a little sacred. I want this brand to be more than a product - I want it to be a feeling. A small, intimate luxury that invites people to soften. To pause. To feel more at home in their body, in their space, in their story.

The aesthetic lives somewhere between Southern Gothic and quiet romance. A little vintage. A little literary. A little strange in the best way. Some people won’t get it. That’s okay. The ones who do will feel it immediately.

There are so many candle brands out there, and I continue to support many of them. I believe in community over competition. But what makes Hemlock & Hearth different is the way we use scent to tell stories. Every fragrance is a moment captured. A mood distilled. A memory reimagined.

The Roots Run Deep

My father is a big part of this story. The Willie’s Kitchen Collection is inspired by him and the warmth of Southern kitchens filled with music, food, and imperfect love. My roots in North Carolina, my deep love of books, and my constant search for magic in the everyday all show up in this work.

Fragrance is how I regulate. It calms me, comforts me, grounds me. It gives me confidence when I need to feel strong, and it holds me when I need softness. Fragrance is part of how I care for myself. Creating this brand is part of how I care for others.

What I Hope You Feel

When someone lights one of our candles, I hope they feel a sense of calm. I hope they feel held. Maybe even nostalgic. I want Hemlock & Hearth to offer a small touch of luxury, comfort, and clarity in a world that often feels rushed and chaotic.

There is more to come. Perfumes. Body oils. New collections. New stories. But this is where it began.

A spark. A scent. A moment.

And a hope that it lingers, long after the flame goes out.