9 Fall Candles That Aren’t Cheesy at All, According to Designers
Featured in Sunset | By Kelsey Mulvey | September 24, 2025
If summer’s all about lounging poolside and making the most of your backyard, autumn is your opportunity to head inward. It’s the time to go inside, get cozy, and, obviously, light a candle. Fall and candles might be an unstoppable duo, but we have to be honest with you: The season’s most popular scents tend to feel a bit basic. And, for an extra dose of honesty? Notes of apple, cinnamon, and pumpkin tend to feel out of place along the West Coast—especially if you live somewhere that’s always sunny and has virtually no color-changing foliage.
Linnea Heirloom Tomato Candle
While you can get plenty of scent-spo from your garden, Trish Knight of Knight Varga Interiors in Vancouver begs you to think beyond pumpkins and apples.
Her choice: Linnea’s Heirloom Tomato candle. “I love the earthy, green, and quietly nostalgic scent and think it is the perfect nod to the tail end of summer here on the West Coast and the shift toward heartier, cozier cooking,” she says. “I light it in the kitchen as I prepare fall dinners: It layers beautifully with the scents of the season like slow-roasted garlic, fresh zucchini lasagna roll-ups, or a bubbling pot of chili without overpowering them.”
Aroma aside, she also loves that Linnea is a small, family-run company that prioritizes sustainability and philanthropy. Not only does Linnea make eco-friendly, cruelty-free candles, but it also partners with charities like Feeding America and One Tree Planted.