Kristen Pumphrey founded the California-based P.F. Candle Co., which began as a small Etsy shop in 2008 and has since grown into an 80-person company. Passionate about DIY, Kristen shares candle and incense-making tutorials on social platforms and co-authored “At Home with Fragrance” with her husband, Tom Neuberger. She views fragrance as an essential aspect of interior design and a form of self-expression. Outside of her business, Kristen enjoys vintage shopping, biking, and spending time with her family. Learn more about Kristen Pumphrey and her candles in today’s Maker Monday.
Andrew Joseph: What is the most important element in a successful interior design?
Kristen Pumphrey: To me, successful interior design is not just about how it looks, but how it feels.
AJ: How do you stay creative and inspired?
KP: I expose myself to fun media all the time – old movies, books, music – or cool stores. I try to visit new places and get out of the normal loops of day-to-day life. If I’m in a creative rut, I find what helps is to re-arrange something – typically shelves in the room. The process of physically touching all of my belongings that I love, cleaning them, showing care for them, and then putting them back, helps to knock the cobwebs out.
AJ: What is your favorite place to find inspiration?
KP: I love being in nature – taking a hike, getting out of the city, especially to the Eastern Sierras which is the most beautiful place on Earth in my opinion.
AJ: What is your favorite aspect of your job?
KP: My favorite aspect of my job is using visual imagery to tell the story of the fragrance we created. Until smell-o-vision is created, selling fragrance online will be tricky. We adapt visual imagery as well as copy to really put people inside the world of the scent. We have always approached our fragrance by showcasing incredible interiors that exemplify how the fragrance smells.
AJ: What is your favorite design trend from the past?
KP: I love midcentury modern design. Clean, pared-back lines, only what you need and make it last. I’m especially inspired by the Eames’ mantra of “the best for the most for the least”.
AJ: How do you stay organized while working on multiple projects?
KP: I’m a big fan of Notion and the reminders app on my phone. I am constantly dictating reminders to my watch and phone to remember all those little creative tidbits that occur to me (sometimes, they don’t make any sense after the fact). Then once a week, I convert these notes into actionable items and put them into a weekly agenda. I also review all open projects and push forward action items from those. Carving out time for a weekly review makes sure things don’t get dropped.
AJ: How do you approach designing for a specific mood or atmosphere?
KP: With fragrance, different scents affect your mood and help create that atmosphere. If I want to create a calming, grounding atmosphere, I would go for Sandalwood, Cedar – something earthy – or Lavender or Jasmine (the latter of which has anti-anxiety benefits). I might also choose a scent based on the type of use – for example, if you are using fragrance in your kitchen, you don’t want scents that compete with the smell of the food, but rather enhance it.
Now an 80-person fragrance company, P.F. Candle Co. started as a one-woman Etsy shop in 2008 out of Kristen’s second bedroom once selling not only candles, but also book safes, buttons, and more. P.F. was never a side hustle for Kristen and she always knew she wanted to make a living out of making things, so she did.
The entire P.F. collection is vegan, cruelty-free, and phthalate-free — always. All candles are made with 100% domestically grown soy wax. “While our production methods have improved over the years, something that hasn’t changed about P.F. products is the people behind them,” Kristen writes. “All of our products are developed, produced, tested, and packed by our team out of our warehouse in Los Angeles, CA.”
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