We're excited to share an artisan profile today on Brett Owens, owner and founder of the candle company Light Provisions. Brett's exceptional design aesthetic, combined with sophisticated scents that are perfectly balanced and complex without being overly sweet, makes for a product that team Colorado Crafted can't resist.
Read on to learn more about Brett - from his current favorite artisans, local places to eat and hike, and how he got started in the candle business. Enjoy.
How did you get started? What were your first steps and how did it evolve from there?
I would say that roughly 85% of my desire to make candles came out of living in an old house with 5 college roommates. Some of them smelled worse than the others. Overall, there was some scent phenomenon that spawned out of 5 men in a hundred-year-old home that would not go away despite the amount of cleaning and open windows. My desire to have a hobby in which I made something and the desperate need to make our house smell better so we could actually have people over is in essence what created Light Provisions.
For the first two years of starting the company, I worked full time as a barista. As with any service job you work, you know it can be near impossible to get weekends off. I needed weekends off for markets and craft shows, so that is ultimately what led me to take the plunge.
Tell us about the space where you make your product. How big is it, what does it look like?
I started in the kitchen of my home, moved into my bedroom (which I wouldn't recommend for messy and smelly hobbies like candlemaking). After I got married, we were lucky to find an old home with a finished basement, which is where I reside now. Unfortunately, it is probably the least glamorous looking studio one could have. It's carpeted and covered with cardboard to (cheaply) protect the carpet. It's roughly the size of a master bedroom and I happen to share it with the washer & dryer. I like to dream of one day having a trendy warehouse with natural light and shop dog, but for now, I can't beat working in my pajamas.
Do you have a favorite food or lifestyle blog?
Right now, my favorite food dish is greek nachos with herbed tahini sauce. I don't really read a lot of food or lifestyle blogs, but my wife and I are obsessed with the book "Love Real Food" by Kathryne Taylor. I'm still not entirely sure what tahini is, but it's absolutely delicious.
What's your favorite thing that's been said about your product?
I love when people smell our candles for the first time and immediately experience a warm memory or feeling that they haven't recalled in years. Especially when they're very distinct and unique.
Not a lot of things can immediately transport you back to a fond event in the past, but it's definitely cool when it's something that we can be apart of - just by creating things that we like.
Are there any other great artisans you're into right now?
Finding a talented ceramics artist is like finding a car or car brand that you know you're going to be loyal to for the rest of your life. You just want to buy everything from them. Our cabinets are loaded with mugs from Mcbeard Ceramics and I recently came in touch with Mortar & Stone. We did a little collaboration together and are planning to collaborate on more candles for the winter season.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Oh man. My wife makes fun of me about how much I love cereal. It's my go-to breakfast item, midnight snack, and 'I'm too lazy to make anything else' meal. Today was Cheerios with frozen blueberries, granola, and kefir. But I definitely have to mix it up, I'm not that lame!
You live and work in Colorado Springs: Do you have any favorite place to enjoy the beauty of your area?
There's a spot in Cheyenne Canyon called Seven Bridges Trail. As you can guess, there are seven bridges you cross on your way up. I actually don't know if I have ever made it to the "seventh" bridge because my wife and I usually stop along the way to read and picnic.
Seven Bridges, picture courtesy of Sasha Hart via Catalyst Newspaper.
Do you have a favorite local restaurant? Is there anything special you love to order there that you can tell us about?
Oddysey Gastropub solely for their incredible mahi-mahi fish 'n chips and homemade cucumber ranch. I don't know if there's anything more I need to say about that place.
Thank you so much, Brett, for taking the time to give us a peek behind the scenes with Light Provisions! You can find his candles in a few of our Spa Gift Boxes, as well as an individual option if you want to Build Your Own Box!