An orange and blue candle on a wood surface.
Courtesy Nickey Kehoe

A Designer Pays Homage to His Grandfather With a Line of Evocative Candles

Todd Nickey’s late grandparent inspired the four scents in his Bernard fragrance brand.
By Aileen Kwun
February 13, 2021
1 minute read

The name Bernard may conjure different connotations for different folks—say, Senator Sanders, your favorite breed of mountain dog, or a significant other in your life. For Todd Nickey, cofounder of the Los Angeles design duo Nickey Kehoe, Bernard is the name of his fragrance brand, which recently debuted with a collection of hand-poured candles. “This is a scent memory,” Nickey says. “An untold story of my grandfather Bernard. He was a gentleman who believed in style, not as a superficial gesture, but as a guiding force.” The line includes four scents that have been designed to evoke an array of transporting experiences. Meli, the Greek word for honey, is warm and sweet, with base notes of orris root and leather; Eira takes inspiration from Scandinavia, with top notes of patchouli, pinewood, and tonic bean. Daydreams of an underground Paris, meanwhile, informed Oro, “reminiscent of an heirloom jewel,” while Cleome is scented like your favorite dog-eared novel, inspired by ink, paper, and wood. We might not know Nickey’s grandfather personally, but this is a collection we’d happily wax nostalgic to.