There are many perfectly gorgeous rooms with zero candles in them. That's the right number for me. ;-)

If they're scented, yes, esp. if they're not the same scent!

I love candles, but use unscented ones and the same color, (ivory), one room. The only other colors would be colored tapers on the dining table, which match whatever dinnerware or place mats IâÂÂm using. All unscented, however, so as not to offend oneâÂÂs senses.

I think this has to do with personal taste. If you love them, then use them. I used to have many candles in our home. I had to change to wax burners the year we had three kittens at once for their safety. I still have quite a few as decorations, I just don't burn them anymore.

I burn one candle, on my kitchen stove, evenings to rid the house of cooking odors. I have one decorative candle on my hearth. It has, and never will, be lit. I never have been drawn to lit candles the way many people are. The element of danger they include keeps me at bay. Go with your instinct and return it. You already know you don't want it.

I can't burn candles; they choke me. The other thing that I don't like about burning candles is that they leave a sooty and waxy residue on walls and ceilings. I have a few of the battery operated ones with timers that I use in hurricanes and in a wall sconce.

Yes.

Ded, I literally hold my nose and scurry past a Yankee Candle store. IMO the smell is gag inducing and in my case unpleasant smells cause me migraine headaches.

I love the look of candles but only use unscented Root tapers in my dining room and in the candelabra on the piano.

I do think you should use as many in your home that you want and you have a lovely home so you know what looks good and works. I do urge you though to use unscented candles in the common areas of your home. In your personal spaces use as many scented candles as you want.

Yes, if you're a teacher. A lot of parents think they're the perfect appreciation gift.

I think the thing about candles is that technically they are made to be used and often they never are, and they slowly fade and the tops actually get a little sticky and dusty, because you can't really clean wax all that well, no matter how clean you are. So I would say yes.

CandleSTICKS, however, are another matter. I have almost eighty Danish modern ones and I display them all together in a forest of wooden candlesticks. But they are empty. :) (And yes, it takes a long time to dust them all).

I never burn scented candles. The candles I do burn are always unscented. I only diffuse essential oils if looking for a fragrance. I only buy them because I think there some of the best looking accessories out now. Seems like when I'm looking for an accessory it turn out to be some sort of accessory with a candle. I'm just starting to realize, I'm collecting too many. This latest buy was from Pier one. I paid way too much if I don't love it. So think I'll take it back and keep looking till something else catches my eye. Hopefully it won't be another candle item.

Here's the one that I bought. I'm planning to use it on a cabinet shelf that I ordered for a half bath in the basement. Until the cabinet comes it' living here.

@Lucy, good candles don't leave a sooty waxy residue (or any other kind of residue) on the walls.

I don't have decorative candles around the house; they would be unlikely to get washed or dusted in our household. We do burn candles for Shabbat every week and on other holidays.

Like others above, we prefer unfragranced.

Northern Lights candles are really good. They burn very cleanly and brightly without dripping. Their website has separate sections for fragranced and unfragranced making it easy if you prefer unfragranced.

It will be late for some, but they are having a Labor Day weekend sale of 20% off (until midnight EST). They are also giving 10% to a charity for the month of September. We ordered today and got both the discount and the donation.

Here is a link that might be useful: Northern Lights Candles

This post was edited by cloud_swift on Mon, Sep 1, 14 at 18:27

Pal, you've posted a pic of your collection of candle sticks before and it's one of my favorite things ever on GW.

I don't care about candles but I do tend to fall in love with candle sticks or candle holders. So I buy them, and unless you have a Pal-esque collection, then you need candles. And I agree with others that no one should have a big collection of scented ones. I have maybe 4 candles in the living room but none are scented.

I sometimes do have one small scented candle in the kitchen in a scent that makes me happy on winter afternoons. I'm picky about the scent, though. Nothing flowery or vanilla. I have one called "tea" that I like!