The interiors expert on why calm starts with turning off the big light, what to remove from a room before you add anything, and the three scents she created with Beauty Pie.

 

 

 

There are people who know how to make a home look good, and people who know how to make one feel good. Reena Simon is very much the latter.

 

For more than a decade, the interiors expert, influencer and author has been studying the business of calm. And reassuringly, her formula doesn’t involve replacing your kitchen, moving to Copenhagen or asking everyone you live with to vacate the premises.

 

It’s much simpler than that.

 

Turn off the overhead lights. Clear the surfaces. Stop trying to make everything match. Think about what your senses: what your home feels like and smells like, not just what it looks like.

 

Reena believes scent is fundamental to how we experience a space, which is why her new candle collaboration with Beauty Pie started not with three fragrances, but three moments.

 

Rêves d'Èze is a fresh, breezy morning, before the day demands anything from you. 

 

Time Well Spent is that late-afternoon golden hour, when the day starts to soften. 

 

Midnight Cashmere is for the end-of-day exhale, when you’re officially unavailable for further comment.

 

Three candles. Three moods. One extremely good argument for staying home.

 

We asked Reena about the collection, the interiors rules worth breaking and the small changes that can make a surprisingly big difference to your home.

 

 

Q: Reena, you’ve spent more than a decade writing about calm at home. What’s one misconception people have about creating a beautiful home?

 

A: I think what people often really want is a home that feels calm and tranquil. But the thing they think is the problem often isn’t. Sometimes they simply haven’t looked at their home and thought about what they could edit out. Once you start removing things, the space naturally begins to feel calmer.

 

Q: So what are the three easiest ways to make a home feel calmer?

First, I always turn the overhead lights off. During the day, I try to rely on natural light. In the UK, we don’t always benefit from much of that, so then I turn to table lamps, softer lighting and floor lamps.

 

Second is scent. Having signature scents at home does something to your nervous system where you just exhale, you breathe deeper and your body relaxes. So I’d say that scent and candles are really important for calm. 

 

And third is clearing and making space. Clearing the surfaces, tidying a little and letting things reset. When you have clear surfaces, your mind hasn’t got lots of things to look at, and so that evokes more calm and tranquility. 

Q: Why did you choose to theme the candles around different times of day?

A: Because our homes are never just one mood.

 

I really wanted to give people three deliberate and intentional points in the day where they could go out of their way to light one of these candles, to really reflect and mirror what’s going on at that time.

Q: When would you light the Rêves d'Èze candle?

 

A: I would light Rêves d'Èze in the morning. It has notes of Basil, Mint and Eucalyptus, and those really speak to the start of the day. It smells like when you step outside and the fresh air just hits your face.

 

Q: What does "Time Well Spent" mean to you personally?

 

A: Time Well Spent was very much designed with golden hour in mind, because golden hour is my favourite time of day, whatever season we’re in. It’s a time when I feel really grateful for the day, and this candle reflects that softness with notes of Sandalwood, Plum and Cardamom. 

 

Q: Describe the ideal “Midnight Cashmere” evening… 

 

A: When the house is at its quietest and calmest, and it’s just a very cosy time of the evening. This has notes of Smoke, Cashmere and Amber. It’s for a time when you feel cocooned and you’re just not going to move…

 

Q: If you could describe the collection in three words, what would they be?

 

A: Sensorial, tactile and evocative.

 

Q: Why candles?

 

A: I’ve been writing about how to bring calm into your home for over a decade, and scent is fundamental to that, and I really do believe that you can’t design any kind of room or space without a signature scent.

 

 

I was also able to design a three-wick candle. By having three wicks, it means that you’ve got more wax, and the scent reaches more of the space you’re trying to fill.

 

Q: Did any parts of the development process surprise you?

 

A: The way perfumers talk about candles, and the way that they build them, is all actually very technical. It’s very similar to the way that architects talk about load-bearing walls! When we were building and designing the candles, and each scent, you have to layer the notes. You have base notes, heart notes, top notes. It’s just very similar to the way that you design and build a house.

 

Q: Tell us about the vessel design. 

 

A: I was really, really pleased to be able to introduce ceramic to Beauty Pie’s beautiful collection of glass candles. I think ceramic is a really exciting material to work with. I really wanted to design a candle that was useful and beautiful, and something that doesn’t get left behind or thrown away. I wanted it to be a keepsake. 

 

Q: We love a bit of rule-breaking at Beauty Pie. What’s one interior design rule that you completely ignore?

 

A: Everything matching. I just feel like things shouldn’t match. I love asymmetrical design, I love design where you pair different textures and materials. I just think that’s what brings homes uniqueness and personality.

 

Q: What is something people are always surprised to learn about you?

A: I’m actually quite a restless person. So although I’ve spent my life talking about calm, and I write about calm, I’m actually always on the go. 

 

Q: How do you personally reset after a busy day?

 

A: I’m often in London week to week, or I’m with my daughters, and so my version of resetting is just being at home, taking all of my makeup off, putting my comfy clothes on, hair up, and lighting a candle.

 

Q: You’re a less-is-more person when it comes to skincare. Any Beauty Pie products make the cut?

 

A: I have a few favourite Beauty Pie products. I love the Silk Dip liquid blush, and the Under-eye corrector. I also start my mornings with the Triple Hyaluronic Acid Serum.

 

Q: And one more thing – should you burn the good candle or save it?

 

A: Always burn the good candle!