Duly Noted: A new shop in Southie

The first thing that you notice upon entering Noted, South Boston’s newest artisan candle shop on East First St., is the size. At eighty two square feet, the shop is small bordering on minuscule, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in some major hygge (read: a trendy Danish term for cozy and charming). Framed matchbooks adorn the wall, and candle making supplies are neatly arranged and labeled on minimal wood shelving next to beeswax tapers in up-cycled Noted diffuser bottles.

The second thing you notice is the scent – an intoxicating whiff of mingling aromas, no doubt a combination of perfume oils and the festive pine garland artfully draped around the shop’s large windows.

Sara Morris, Noted’s owner and chief chandler, set up shop in August of this year, turning a former artist’s display space into an oasis of cheery calm. Morris began making her own candles in the kitchen of her North End apartment in 2015, after finding that there was a hole in the market for high end, minimalist candles at an affordable price.

“I moved into my first apartment and I couldn’t find anything that was all white and minimal and super fresh smelling for any sort of home product, so I just bought a do-it-yourself kit. I’ve always liked to make things,” says Morris. 

Like every other aspect of her business, each small batch of hand poured soy candles is overseen entirely by Morris, featuring scents like Sea Salt Sage, Blackberry Wood, White Tea Lavender, and Fraser Fir. Diffusers and reeds are also available in the same scents, and are also created by Morris’ own hand. Morris also rolls her own unscented beeswax tapers, in the event that you’re hosting a holiday dinner party and want to avoid the smell of Sandalwood Musk intruding upon your palate.

In addition to the East First St. store, Morris’ wares are available almost a dozen other shops in Boston and the surrounding area, as well as online. Through The Knot, a wildly popular wedding planning website, future brides can specially customize Noted’s candles as gifts for their wedding party or as favors for their guests, from the labels to the paper that lines every Noted candle lid.

Morris is currently working on some upcoming projects, including birthday candles, a line of essential oils, and a beeswax container candle, all on deck for 2018. For the holidays, customers of Noted will be able to choose a gift box, which will include two 4-ounce candles and a tiny bottle of matches with multicolored tips.

“It’s a lot of prep, but it’s really fun,” says Morris.

Morris’ passion and enthusiasm shine through both her brand and her store. Everything, from Noted’s Instagram to the shop’s merchandising, is clean and inviting. On a windy November night, Noted is like a cup of tea after being outside on a cold day – warm, comforting, and somehow exactly what you didn’t know you needed.

Noted is located at 525 East First Street, Boston MA. For hours and more information check out their website!