The Story Behind Wake Up Call

I’m often asked how The Rume started and what made us decide to launch a candle brand in the first place. Usually, I begin a well-rehearsed monologue about wanting to pour my creative energy into a physical product, and bring together my love for interiors, art and décor into something that people would be proud to display in their home. However, I rarely delve deep into how we actually got started and what that process looked like for me.

It started with a lemon.

I’ve never been particularly gifted when it comes to illustration. In fact, if you gave me a pencil and paper now, I could just about sketch up a convincing stick man. But it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the introduction of digital art changed my life. Investing in an iPad and downloading an app called ProCreate were the catalysts that allowed The Rume to come to fruition.

With an Apple Pencil in my hand and no clue where to start, I did the thing many of us would do when presented with a new challenge: head to YouTube. Upon searching for tips and tricks, I came across a tutorial on how to draw various fruits, and I landed on a lemon. From there I developed the idea to a pattern, incorporating basil leaves that gave me strong connotations of the Italian coast.

My candle creation process is somewhat illogical, I think, compared to others in the same industry. I start with the packaging first and foremost, picturing how the final product will look in someone’s home, creating the story behind it which then leads to the name. ‘Wake Up Call’ seemed like the right fit for the burst of energy the bright, vibrant packaging design was giving me. Finally I create the fragrance, using the visual reference to imagine what a candle that looks like this should smell like, rather than what a candle that smells a certain way should look like.

I’ve carried this methodology throughout our whole collection, and I’m often complimented on our packaging, so it must be working. I can’t explain the feeling of pride I get imagining a candle in someone’s home. It’s what drives me to keep creating, in the hopes of speaking to people through our range of designs.