breaking the mold

Meet the Houston candlemaker crafting intricate, sculptural designs

The longtime workhorse of cozy vibes — the candle — has officially received a makeover, and it’s magnificent. Doubling as sculptural decor, Lumière candles sit firmly in the quiet luxury space, the creamy signature color and elegant fragrance profiles reminiscent of boutique hotels and homes that require live-in staff. Interesting, then, that these miniature works of art are so obtainable, with prices ranging from just $8 to $60.

Handmade locally, Lumière candles are the brainchild of Israeli-born Lizzie Sharir. Inspired by Canadian and European candle craftspeople, Sharir decided to use these companies as a model for safe, clean products. The decision to start her own company helped to inform her choice of living space when Sharir and her husband relocated to Houston from Florida a year and a half ago, allowing for a home studio.

Aside from an aesthetically pleasing Instagram account, Lumière has no online presence to speak of, helping to maintain Sharir’s commitment to staying local and engaging with the community. Houstonians looking to join the ranks of those in-the-know will need to either slide into her DMs or catch her at one of her monthly pop-ups at West Elm in Rice Village. Absolutely intrigued, CultureMap caught up with Sharir at her home near Memorial Park to learn more.

In the vein of “I’m not angry, just disappointed,” the United States has lax regulations about what is allowed to pass itself off as “clean.” Regardless of what a candle label may read, there are no pure, natural, soy wax products available in the states. Sharir sources ingredients from Canada where regulations are more stringent.

“I care deeply about the ingredients that I use, which is why Lumière candles are cruelty-free, non-toxic, and free of harmful chemicals. Each candle is crafted using 100 percent Canadian soy wax and pure cotton wicks, ensuring a clean, eco-friendly burn,” says Sharir.

Asking about her creative process, the recipe is simple — pure, natural soy flax and chemical-free fragrance: palisanto, sandalwood, vanilla, and coconut are available, plus the option to go fragrance-free.

While the ingredients sound simple, the process of making the candles is not. “The temperature I melt the wax has to be exact, but then it needs to be a different temperature to pour it into the mold, but also the room temperature has to be perfect. It looks easy, but you have to pay attention to every detail. They have to set for 24 hours to cure — I’m a perfectionist about my candles. They have to come out perfectly smooth.”

The delicate fragrance profiles in Lumière candles are intentional. Like many people, Sharir often ends her workday by lighting a candle and unwinding.

“Everyone is so busy and working so hard, juggling family everyday. I like lighting candles at the end of the day to have a cozy feeling and relax. The scents are relaxing, not strong,” says Sharir.

Beyond their mild scents and pleasant glow, many Lumière candles are purchased for their sculptural qualities, with clients confessing that they don’t plan to ever light the eye-catching designs — each one its own piece of art.

“I create what I like to call ‘candle magic’ by handcrafting unique, sculptural candles,” says Sharir. “I truly believe my candles bring people and special moments together and will transform the look of any area in your space with art that sparks light and warmth.”

Last year Lumière did an entire holiday collection that was extremely popular. Available at West Elm and Saint Rose Salon in Montrose, Sharir is excited to launch her second collection soon.

“All of my candles are made from molds. I always buy new ones, especially for the holidays,” she says. “I look forward to Christmas with all of the candles and lights, that’s my favorite collection and it’s coming soon again — I’m really excited.”

All of the Lumière molds are sculptural and beautiful, and soon Sharir plans to add a dog collection, noting that she has a deep fondness for them and the happiness they spread, which is also the goal at Lumière.

“Lumière is French for ‘light.’ I was looking for a name that has meaning and the definition of the light, because that’s what I want to spread — light.”

Courtesy of Lumière

Lumière candles are known for their intricate, structural designs.

That’s a pursuit worth getting behind!

home-design lumiere candles

party down

Design-focused Houston rentals company adds boutique hotel flair to events

Courtesy of Helm House

Furniture upholstery is fully customizable.

The season for end-of-summer parties is approaching. As Houstonians prepare to pack away their swimwear, white linens, and tiki torches, end of summer fêtes are ramping up. Trusted event planning company Planned With has recently launched its sister company — the custom event rentals outfit named Helm House — just in time to make a splash.

Unlike traditional event rental companies, Helm House focuses on design-forward pieces that are fully customizable — down to the upholstery. Each piece in their finely-curated collections can be reupholstered on-the-fly, should a client require something a little more jazzy. Browse fabric collections from Nuage Designs, trimmings from luxury design house Samuel & Sons, and fun options from Chasing Paper to get a truly one-of-a-kind look.

In order to offer truly unique designs, the team at Helm House regularly shops the antiques fair at Round Top for accessories and lighting. Fixtures and other pieces are available from artists like Ken Bizzell of KB Design. His handcrafted works made of recycled tire rubber and other materials are a constant standout in the Excess tents during the fall and spring shows.

“We don’t want to do it cookie-cutter,” says co-founder and director of design Hannah Goetz. “We want it to be very niche, special, and unique. Really one-of-a-kind pieces that you can’t find anywhere else.”

Helm House will paint, paper, or vinyl wrap just about anything in its inventory, even offering custom vinyl designs for tabletops. The design team, led by Goetz, has taken the guess work out of the selections process by finely-tuning preset collections, should clients want a one-and-done experience. Helm House is certainly the first events company in the Houston and Austin market to allow clients to shop by vibes.

“We have collections. So, on the website there are ten collections, and for each of them there is a lounge set up, bar set up, and a dining set up,” explains Goetz. “You can just go on the website and it’s configured and designed and can be added to a wishlist. It’s just easy premade items if you want something pre-designed or even just to get some ideas. But each collection has those three spaces that people can just shop for. If a client really wants to customize fabrics or any pieces for the bars or tables, pillows, or anything like that, then we can provide that for them.”

One of the things that clients appreciate is the ability to work with an in-house interior designer. That being said, there are no pieces in the collections that aren’t design-forward, but with the ability to fully-customize any aspect of the project, it’s easy to get a little lost along the way.

“It depends on the client, but we are a full design house, so we offer those services to clients,” says Goetz. “If they need help with the actual design of the event, then we will present the full design space and say exactly where things are supposed to go. Then we will actually help implement all of the furniture on-site at the event.”

All of this flexibility comes at a price, of course. Helm House typically has a $5,000 minimum per project. As seen in the photo above, a table for six rents for $350. Customers can add a custom vinyl topper for $100 and place settings from $40-60 per seat, meaning place settings for a table of six run from $240-360 per day.

While clients are more than welcome to use their own event planners, the Helm House team’s experience with their sister company gives them a leg-up on other event rentals companies. Traditionally, the rental company will send items to the venue with a single delivery driver with no knowledge of the project. However, Helm House insists on being on-site for the delivery and to have the ability to make any necessary minor adjustments.

“We’ve found that people aren’t usually on-site who are actually part of the rental company, and we want to make sure that everything is placed where it should be, but also just that we are taking that off of our client’s hands,” explains Goetz.

Founder and CEO Emily Rudelson (Full disclosure: Rudelson once worked for CultureMap) wants to provide a rental experience that allows clients to feel that their space offers something different — better sight lines, frames, fabrics, and place settings and linens that feel anything but temporary.

"We started Helm House because we felt there was a void in the market. We were constantly inspired by the incredible design in restaurants, hotels, and boutique spaces, but that same level of thoughtful furniture simply wasn't available for events,” explains Rudelson. “Helm House was built to change that: bringing hospitality-inspired design to the event industry through elevated, design-forward rentals that can also be customized. From fabrics and finishes to one-of-a-kind details, we want every client to have the opportunity to truly make it theirs.

“As the founder of Planned With, I also love that I now get to furnish our own events with pieces we truly believe in, while Helm House operates as its own independent rental company serving planners, designers, brands, venues, and clients across Texas. We believe rentals shouldn't feel rented; they should feel like they were designed specifically for your event.”

Courtesy of Helm House

Furniture upholstery is fully customizable.

home-design parties business