I spent part of the holidays visiting my dad, Willie — sitting in the familiar quiet of my childhood home, talking about food, music, memories, and the small things that stay with you longer than you expect. These visits are slower now, softer around the edges, but they’re where Willie’s Kitchen truly lives.
When I asked him about his earliest scent memories, he didn’t hesitate.
Apples.
Then he laughed.
And said it again.
Apples.
Apple pie, specifically. In my mind this is sweet, warm, cinnamon-heavy — the kind of smell that fills a kitchen and tells you something good is coming. Apples were his childhood, his comfort, his sense of home. When I asked what his kitchen smelled like at his happiest, the answer didn’t change much. Apples and cinnamon. Desserts. Warmth.
His favorite desserts?
Apple pie and sweet potato pie.
His idea of a perfect candle?
Apple cinnamon.
If he could turn a memory into a scent, it wouldn’t be complicated or trendy — just a good old apple, honest and familiar.
Willie’s tastes are simple in the best way. He’s never been one for cologne (“barking up the wrong tree,” he told me), but he loves gourmand scents, especially anything sweet.Last time I visited he also described an idea for a new candle- (maybe shaped by time growing up in Virginia beach): Cocoa butter and suntan lotion.
Also described some of his favorite fragrances- fruits— watermelon, strawberries, grapes. Nothing fussy. Nothing performative.
Outside the kitchen, Willie is a man of deep, layered interests. He loves science fiction and westerns. He loves music — all kinds. Rock and roll, soul, blues, country western, pop. He owns hundreds and hundreds of records, each one its own small time capsule. Music has always been a constant companion, just like scent.
When I asked what he hopes someone feels when they light a candle from the Willie’s Kitchen Collection, his answer surprised me with its simplicity:
He hopes they are their own person.
That they do their own thing.
That they don’t just follow the crowd.
That sentiment is Willie, distilled.
Willie’s Kitchen isn’t about perfection or polish. It’s about comfort. Familiar sweetness. A kitchen that smells like cinnamon and apples. A home where dessert is never skipped.
A life lived with curiosity, independence, and warmth — even when it’s quiet.
And sometimes, that’s all a candle needs to be.
