Meet the Maker – House of Rothach

House of Rothach started out in March 2018. One owner, sole trader.  The aim is to fill homes with beautiful scents, which have been chosen with harmony in mind made with an eco-conscious focus to give customers an affordable luxury product. To find out more about how it all started, where the inspiration comes from and whats in stall for the future take a look at our interview with Nikki Munro, founder of House of Rothach  below…

How did it all start?

I remember not knowing a thing about candle making and ordering ‘some’ wax, wicks and scent online and to my amazement, it actually made a lovely candle or three! This was great as I did spend a lot of money on candles (I burn them every single night) and before long, I started giving them out to friends and family too.  The response was great and a while later I had a lightbulb moment and thought about making a real go of this as a little business. That’s when the real hard work started and that first batch of ‘hobby’ candles that worked…well, they were clearly flukes! I’ve come a long way since then and had some disasters along the way but I never stop learning as there are so many discrepancies between waxes, wicks, fragrance (whether natural or synthetic), temperature, vessels….the list is endless!

The story behind the name…

Simple: my surname is Munro and ‘House of Munro’ just didn’t have the same ring to it as House of Rothach.  Rothach is gaelic for Munro! Plus, I’m thinking long term here, and the name not being particularly fragrance related, means we could incorporate different ideas and products further on our journey. (We were previously known as Candelicious, however since starting out, our brand identity and focus grew and the name no longer portrayed that….plus, we found out there were another few companies with the same name and we wanted to be unique in our own right).

Where are you based?

Ayrshire, Scotland.

What inspires you?

I love fragrance and the pleasure it brings along with memories it awakens. I love things that don’t date i.e. things that are timeless.  I love the outdoors, especially capturing moments in time which can be kept safe in a wonderful memory.

What is your creation process?

Lots and lots of thinking (or daydreaming more like it). I’ll let an idea run around in my head for a while, then start to research it, then try out a few physical options, then spend ages testing and staring at it. Then I might have someone else look at it. Although, sometimes it’s scrapped, and I’ve learned what not to do!

What makes you, your brand or products unique?

Our style is simple, un-fussy and elegant all at the same time. The fragrances in our Exclusive Collection, which were designed, created and born from fond memories gathered from the outdoors, have been captured in three unique scents which are completely unique to House of Rothach. They encapsulate our love for fragrance and creativity in one.

What is your next project?

Oooh, I have a few ideas running around in my head, but will soon be introducing a small collection of home-wares to our online shop which are simple, elegant and functional. There are another couple of products but that’s still a secret at the moment!

What is your biggest achievement?

It would have to be creating three fragrances from scratch and people liking them as much as I do. When just a few years ago, I wouldn’t have known where to start!

What is your best-selling product/line?

It really does change from month to month however, at the moment the most popular fragrances are in fact within our Exclusive Collection: The Rural Glens, The Urban Parks and The Country Gardens are all pretty much equal in choice. These come in all our products: candles, home & linen mists, reed diffusers and wax air/melt discs.

What do you love about Country Living Fairs?

The atmosphere is like no other. It has such a feel-good factor about it and the customers are always happy as a result.  The customers are always keen to know your story, especially from a small business like this. I’ve also had returning customers from one year to another which just makes my day.

Your three top tips for crafters and makers…

1. Just because you like it doesn’t mean other people will – make sure you therefore ‘test’ your items on friends and family first.
2. Do your homework and make sure you are working within the guidelines of your field.
3. Research, research, research.

Any advice for fledgling businesses…

If you are doing something you love and are passionate about then that’s where it all begins.  If you believe in your products and make them well, present them well, and don’t mind hard work then go for it.  There is nothing more rewarding that someone choosing to spend money they have earned on your products.