Country Squire by Gilles Dewavrin: An English Country House in Wax

With Country Squire, Gilles Dewavrin translates the atmosphere of rural England into scent. Mandarin, cardamom, honey and clove inhabit refillable vessels made in France and Italy, turning a familiar domestic ritual into a carefully considered interior object.

A scented candle can change the character of a room without altering anything visible. For Gilles Dewavrin, fragrance begins with place and memory. His scented wax collection draws on real journeys as well as imagined destinations, using perfume to recall architecture, landscapes, literature and personal histories.

England occupies a particular place in this olfactory vocabulary. Dewavrin spent several years there, and the country continues to inform his work through its houses, gardens, countryside and cultural references. Country Squire, one of the fragrances in the collection, focuses on the intimate atmosphere of a small country home.

The setting is deliberately specific. The house stands beside a forest, surrounded by animals that have gradually claimed the garden and the land around it. Inside, the décor feels warm, slightly dusty and gently bohemian. Its imagined owner shares the space with these animals, allowing domestic life and the natural world to overlap.

Mandarin introduces brightness to the composition, while cardamom and clove add warmth and spice. Honey brings a softer, rounder dimension. Together, the notes suggest polished wood, old fabrics, books and the lingering comfort of a lived in interior. Rather than offering a literal portrait of the English countryside, the fragrance builds an atmosphere through selected details.

A refillable decorative object

The presentation is central to Gilles Dewavrin’s approach. The candle holders are produced in small series by artisans in France and Italy, using terracotta and decorative glass. Designed to be refilled, they remain in the home after the original wax has been used.

The Terres Mêlées version brings the irregular tones and textures of mixed clay into the collection. Matching single and double trays extend the composition, allowing several pieces to be arranged together on a table, shelf or mantelpiece.

This refillable format gives the object a longer life and separates the vessel from the disposable logic often associated with scented candles. The fragrance can be renewed, while the handmade holder continues to function as part of the interior.

Country Squire reflects a personal vision of fragrance, shaped by memory rather than spectacle. Its English references are recognisable, but never treated as a decorative theme. Instead, the scent evokes a private environment with its own rhythms, inhabitants and traces of time.

Gilles Dewavrin scented candles are available from Thierry Boutemy and Scène de Ménage in Brussels, as well as through The Invisible Collection in London, Paris and New York.

Instagram: @gillesdewavrin