“I like to liven things up,” Worley says. “I’m lively and energetic but not too heavy.” A portable display — a handmade concoction of recycled doors and wine crates — decorates the duo’s Covington home that, for now, doubles as a workplace for their candle and home décor business.
Cincinnati natives Worley and Harris started Glowine five years ago looking to make a candle product that was recycled and rare. A process of trial and error took them from pillar candles in Mason jars to wine bottles with hinged tops.
Glowine bottles are recycled wine bottles that come decorated with art deco and filigree label designs. A separate cylinder candle in a glass jar fits snugly inside each cut and hinged bottle. Each candle burns for 100 hours, is made from natural palm wax and contains a cotton wick. Once the candle has burned out, the empty jar can be removed and replaced with one of Glowine’s hand-poured refills. They also make Flicker Liquor candles from vodka, tequila and other booze bottles.
“We wanted something different than just the wine bottle cut off, because that’s what everyone does,” Worley says. “That’s where the hinge idea came from.
Now it’s this refillable, nice version of a wine bottle candle.”
The two self-taught innovators use as many locally sourced materials as possible, such as the wick, wax and fragrance. Many of their candles are sold wholesale to local stores like Covington’s Village Gifts KY.
Part of the appeal is the handmade quality, but there’s also Worley's and Harris’ dedication to making the product affordable, consistent and refillable. They are involved in every aspect of the process, from candle pouring to packaging and website design to product photography.
Other than a 200-pound wax-melting pot, the main tools Worley and Harris use are their hands. They leave out commercial versions of glass warmers and bottle cutters and create their own tools, most of which are an A Squared Decor secret.
Harris’ background in brick masonry and construction aided the development of the bottle-cutting process. What was once a scoring and breaking process is now a quick table-saw maneuver.
“Obsess” is the scent that embodies Harris, he says. A warm, comforting balance of sandalwood, cedar and vanilla combined with amber personifies his drive and focus. Harris says a lot of productivity comes from obsessing over an idea until the problem is solved.
“There’s a lot more science in candle making than people think,” Worley says. Everything has to be the right temperature; the wick’s diameter has to be accurate; the ratio of color to fragrance and wax to color must be precise.
The room smells of a blown-out candle, burnt but fragrant. It’s organized but tightly packed with measuring cups, raw wax and assorted tools. Stains of color and splashes of dry wax cover the workspace. This candle pouring and staging room is one of three in their house full of A Squared Decor material, not to mention the entire basement.
Right now the only hindrance is working from home. “Our biggest issue is space,” Harris says.
But The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington is potentially offering a solution to their space issues. A Squared Decor is a prospective tenant of an up-and-coming CGN establishment called the Hellmann Creative Center, says Sarah Allan, CGN program director of creative placemaking. Set for complete operation in early July, the center will house seven to eight artist studios, a community event space and CGN offices.
A space dedicated to A Squared Decor is exactly what Worley and Harris hope will perpetuate the Glowine brand and allow them to develop other home decor projects in the future.
Resource : http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-34551-local_creators_revamp_wine_bottle_candle.html
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