Walk into Mad Lilies and you'll quickly spot one of our favourite corners of the shop — an entire wall dedicated to Ester & Erik candles.
Rows upon rows of beautiful colours. Soft pinks, earthy terracottas, fresh greens, rich browns, delicate blues and every shade in between.
Over the years, our candle wall has become something of a destination for Ester & Erik lovers. We stock one of the largest in-store collections in the UK, with colours for every season, table and celebration.
And whilst people love having so much choice, we hear the same question almost every day:
"They're all beautiful... but how do I know which colours go together?"
It's a fair question.
Standing in front of more than fifty colours can feel a little overwhelming.
The answer, however, is surprisingly simple.
As Florists, We Think About Colour Differently
Every day we're creating bouquets using flowers that, on paper, shouldn't necessarily work together. A dusty pink rose beside a burnt peach ranunculus. Fresh green foliage against deep burgundy blooms. Soft lilacs sitting alongside warm caramel tones.
They're not matching colours.
They're layered colours.
And that's the difference.
When we're designing flowers, we're rarely working with a single shade repeated over and over again. Instead, we're building depth, contrast and interest by combining tones that bring out the best in one another.
The most beautiful tables work in exactly the same way.
Think about the tables you save on Pinterest, the dinner party settings that make you stop scrolling, or the weddings that feel effortlessly stylish. Very rarely are they built around three identical candles. More often you'll find subtle shifts in colour — a dusky pink beside a warm peach, a rich brown paired with terracotta, a soft green sitting alongside pale blue.
The colours aren't the same.
But they belong together.
And that's where the magic happens.
It's the same principle we use when creating bouquets. Individual flowers are beautiful on their own, but it's the relationship between them that creates something memorable.
Why Colour Stories Work Better Than Matching Candles
So rather than thinking about candles as individual colours, we encourage customers to think in colour stories. Instead of choosing three identical candles, imagine each shade playing a different role within the palette. One may bring warmth, another softness, another freshness or contrast. Together they create atmosphere and help a table feel layered, interesting and beautifully considered rather than perfectly matched.
Think of it as the florist's approach to colour.
To show you what we mean, let's look at one of our favourite combinations.
