The magic of candlelight
By: LMP Editorial Team - October 12th, 2007
It’s 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday and you’re regretting the last-minute dinner invitation you made to your boss/mother-in-law/neighbour, having just remembered that your housecleaner has the week off. So you a) phone your would-be guest and say that a sudden onset migraine is forcing you to cancel, b) exhaust yourself with a frantic attempt to tidy up or c) disguise the disarray by dimming the lights and bringing out some beautiful candles and your favourite holder.
Liza Benzvi, owner of Ambiente, a specialty candle store that opened in Toronto last month, suggests opting for the last solution to this domestic dilemma. “When they’re used the right way, candles work like a good movie. They let you relax and imagine you are some place else,” she says, suggesting that guests will notice the subtle scents and colours of candles rather than the thin layer of dust that coats the living room.
Lighting candles also instantly take the stress level down a notch or two, says Benzvi. “They create a calm atmosphere, whether you’re in the living room or the backyard. And it helps you to relax – which is the one thing none of us gets enough chances to do.”
Benzvi’s love of candles goes back to when she was teenager growing up in Israel. “Every month, I would change the candles in my room to suit my mood,” she explains. As a young adult, she used candles to create a homey atmosphere while she and her husband Daniel travelled and studied.
When the couple moved to Toronto in 2004, one of their first chores was to set out searching for candles. To their dismay, Liza and Daniel couldn’t find what they wanted. But neither thought they could make it through a cold Toronto winter without a good supply of candles. So they signed up for a candle-making course and began making their own, experimenting with colours, shapes and scents.
After friends began begging the couple to make candles for them, Liza decided to turn her new-found talent into a business.
The result is Benzvi’s new store, Ambiente, located at 416 Queen St. W., (http://www.ambientestores.com/). It carries a wide variety of long-lasting candles, all of which are handmade in Canada using high quality waxes that do not include animal by-products and lead-free cotton wicks.
Candle prices range from $2 tapers and pillars to standing floor models that sell for $170. All are available in 12 scents, including vanilla cinnamon, lavender patchouli and gardenia. After receiving requests for unscented candles, the duo is working on a fragrance-free line.
Ambiente also imports an exclusive line of handmade candle accessories from India, including a wrought-iron wall sconce with glass mosaic bowls that hold tea lights. The bowls can also be removed, and block candles placed on the bases. Prices for these range from between $39.95 and $59.95.
A few blocks east and you’ll find more candle holders and candelabras at the Umbra Concept store. Designer Michelle Ivankovic’s Candorah silver-plated candelabra recalls a cluster of French-tied flowers. Its tips, which fit both regular and thin tapered candles, can be removed for easy cleaning.
The Candorah, which sells for $385, is available at the Umbra store at 165 John Street (416-599-0088), or can be ordered online at http://www.umbra.ca/.
More affordable is a sleek eight-candle, stainless-steel candelabra from Ikea. It’s part of the giant retailer’s new Stockholm line, which features offer high-end Scandinavian 
housewares and furniture in materials that are a cut above that traditionally offered by the world’s most democratic home improvement retailer. The Stockholm candelabra sells for $39.99, and is available at Ikea stores (http://www.ikea.ca/).
While you’re there, pick up a pack of 100 Glimma tea lights for $3.69.
There are lots of ways to use these tiny, inexpensive candles. Antique soap dishes, tea saucers or shot glasses all make great holders.
For a luxe look, consider a glistening tea light holder made of Swarovski 
crystal. The new Silex candleholder comes in a clear and smoky grey finish, and sells for $800 at Swarovski stores, a list of which are available at http://www.swarovski.com/. For a festive holiday look, check out the new Poinsettia tea light, which sells for $155, and will be within the next few weeks.