KOBO Candles: Transforming Memories into Sustainable Luxury
Experience the artful essence of KOBO Candles, a brand that has transformed fragrant memories from around the world into luxurious, environmentally conscious home accessories. Founded in 2006 by husband and wife team Junko Kobori and Louis Hotchkiss, KOBO emerged from their shared passion for global exploration and the distinctive scents that defined each destination they visited.
The KOBO story began when Kobori, originally from Kumamoto in southern Japan, and Hotchkiss, from New Jersey, traveled extensively together after meeting in Japan in 1986. Their journeys to remote corners of the world inspired a desire to capture the evocative scents they encountered—from bustling marketplaces in France to serene temples in Japan—leading them to establish their candle-making operation in Saratoga Springs, New York. Each fragrance in their collection tells a story of places visited and moments experienced, creating not just candles but sensory portals to distant lands.
What distinguishes KOBO Candles is their unwavering commitment to sustainability and craftsmanship. Every candle is meticulously hand-poured using 100% pure soy wax derived from domestically grown, environmentally sustainable soybeans. This conscious choice creates a cleaner burning medium with superior fragrance yield while avoiding the petroleum-based ingredients found in conventional candles. Their products feature enviro-safe cotton wicks, are free from additives, dyes, phthalates, and oil-based products, and come in vessels designed to be repurposed long after the candle has burned away.
The candle-making process at KOBO is both an art and a science. Working with premiere boutique fragrance houses in the United States, they develop complex, layered scents that create room-filling aromas without overwhelming the senses. Each candle is crafted to specific standards that maximize fragrance yield for an exceptional sensory experience, with burn times reaching up to 80 hours for their signature products.
In 2022, KOBO Candles entered a new chapter when it was acquired by Chicago-based Merz Apothecary, a historic establishment with international roots dating back to 1875. This transition moved production from New York to Chicago while maintaining the brand’s commitment to quality and sustainability. Under new ownership, the company continues to honor Kobori and Hotchkiss’s original vision while expanding their reach to new audiences.
At Comfort, Peace + Love, we’re proud to feature KOBO Candles as they align perfectly with our founder’s belief in the transformative power of sensory experiences in creating personal sanctuaries. These beautifully crafted candles do more than illuminate a space—they evoke memories, create atmosphere, and bring the essence of distant places into the comfort of your home, all while respecting both people and planet.
