Once the windows shut for winter, a small flat holds on to every smell. That is good news for highly scented candles, the ones with plenty of scent oil in the wax. It also means one candle can be too much. A jar that feels lovely in a big lounge can feel heavy in a studio flat. The fix is not a weaker scent. It is matching the candle to the space.
Why highly scented candles feel stronger in a small room
Scent spreads through the air in a room. A small room has less air, so the same candle fills it faster. Scent throw, meaning how far the smell travels, stays the same. The room is what changes.
November makes it stronger still. Most of us keep the windows closed and the heating on. Less fresh air comes in, so the scent builds up over the evening instead of drifting away.
Is a three-wick candle too much for a small flat?
Often, yes, in a bedroom or box room. A big jar needs a long first burn so the wax melts right to the edge. If the scent gets too strong and you blow it out early, the candle starts tunnelling. That means it burns straight down and leaves wax up the sides.
Scented tea light candles suit a small home
A tealight gives you a smaller dose of scent, and you are in charge of how much. You can add a second one if the room needs more. You can blow one out without wasting a big jar.
That makes scented tea light candles a good fit for flats, terraces and bedrooms. The tealights in our Advent Calendar each burn for 3 to 4 hours, which covers a whole evening.
A simple guide to start with:
- One tealight for a bedroom or box room
- Two or three for a small lounge
- Light them 20 minutes before guests arrive
- Blow them out when you leave the room
Where to put a candle in a small flat
Space is tight in a small home, so placement matters more. The London Fire Brigade says to keep candles and tealights away from curtains, furniture and anything that can catch fire. Always use a fire resistant holder that sits on a flat, steady surface. In a flat, that rules out most windowsills with curtains, and the arm of the sofa.
Quick answers
What are highly scented candles?
They are candles with a generous amount of scent oil in the wax. This is called the fragrance load, meaning how much scent oil is in the wax. Our advent tealights have an 8% fragrance load.
Can a candle be too strong for a room?
Yes. A large candle in a small, closed room can smell heavy after an hour or so. Use a smaller candle, burn fewer at once, or move the candle to a bigger room.
Small homes reward small doses of scent. From 1 December, the Glow Collection Advent Calendar gives you one tealight a day, across 12 Christmas fragrances. That is just the right amount for a flat on a dark winter evening.
Related reading
- Scented Tea Lights: Why Small Candles Smell So Good: more on getting the best from tealights
- Good Smelling Candles: Which Scent Suits Which Room: which scents suit which room
- Three Wick Candles: The First Burn That Decides Everything: how to get a big jar off to a good start
