All about the brand and her inspiring story.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Suraiya Nanji, the founder of Homecoming, to learn all about her passion and how it fuelled her to dedicate her creative career to elevated aesthetics, great design and feeling cozy. With distinct scents ranging from grounding botanicals to dreamy notes of amber and bright pops of citrus, Homecoming products are intended to fit perfectly into any space, serving as a gentle reminder that there really is no place like home. It’s time to get to know the founder and learn all about Homecoming- including what’s next for the brand.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started in the candle space- Homecoming is an amazing Canadian brand!

Homecoming started as a passion project while I was still working in the fashion industry in Los Angeles. I went all-in when I moved back to Vancouver (hence the name) and slowly began growing the brand by doing markets and working with local stores. Since then I’ve gone from working out of my apartment to growing a small team. Last year we rebranded our core collection and were excited to see a lot of growth as we navigated a year that was truly like no other. We’re so happy with where this company is growing and can’t wait to share our brand new collection with you!

All of the Homecoming Candles are beautiful and so unique. How do you come up with the distinct scents?

Because my background is in visual design, I approach Homecoming as a creative way to explore new ways of defining space. The way a candle smells or casts light can truly enhance the mood of a room, so that’s always a fun perspective to be created from. When it comes to scent design, we really like to find unique or unlikely pairings, while still remaining rooted in the natural world. Amber + Bitter Orange, Black Tea + Pepper, or our new scent, Tobacco Wild Rose are all examples of creating something new out of the familiar.

Can you talk to us more about the Gradient Collection featuring the launch of your new ceramic vessels?

The Gradient Collection is a new line of six scents we’ve been workshopping for the better part of a year. While our core collection, which takes direct inspiration from life on the West Coast, is meant to refresh your home, these candles are really meant to spark your imagination and transform the mood of your space. The scents are a natural extension from our previous releases, but with bolder, dreamier, and more compelling scent notes, like palo santo, lemon peel, oud wood, jasmine blossom, and more. The candles burn for 50 – 60 hours and the reusable white ceramic casts the light of the flame in a really beautiful way. 

You describe your candles as the perfect escape from the daily grind.  How are your candles able to transform a space?

The scent is such a powerful sense and we’re constantly surprised about the associations people have with our candles. Some scents evoke memories, some remind customers of different people in their lives — in that way, lighting a candle can be such a transportive experience, the perfect way to pause and remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of daily life (even if just for a moment). I love lighting different scents for different moments in the day as a way to cue my mind and body for whatever comes next.

What’s next for Homecoming?

We’ll be giving a lot of love and attention to the Gradient Collection while also workshopping new scents and products for the spring/summer season. We’re also setting up our new production space, which we’re hoping to open up to the public on a regular basis. It’s been so long since we’ve gotten to interact with our community face-to-face, so we’re hoping to develop a safe way for people to sample candles and pick-up orders in person again. 

Visit homecomingcandles.com to shop the latest products and learn more about the brand.