Lifestyle Expert, Preston Konrad On Transforming Intimate Spaces With Fragrance
WITH PRESTON KONRAD
With a broader lifestyle brand in the works, Preston is making a clear statement by sharing his life’s story through the lens of clean, affordable candles before expanding any further.
Photography, Xavier Duah
Words, Brandon Scott Roye In Conversation with Preston Konrad
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Our first question for the founder of his namesake, Preston Konrad Home, was why he chose to launch with candles. He answered without hesitation, “fragrance is the most approachable change for the strongest impact when redesigning your home”.
It takes a certain level of humility for a designer to admit that even their best work must be complemented by the right fragrance for a truly three-dimensional experience. With a broader lifestyle brand in the works, Preston is making a clear statement by sharing his life’s story through the lens of clean, affordable candles before expanding any further.
This got me thinking — too often we focus on the form of fragrance, while overlooking the more definitive and transcendent function it plays in our lives. If you ask me, the difference lies very simply in the degree of connection to our memories.
Form is the first degree of connection in saying, “this candle smells like orchids”. Function is the second degree of connection in saying, “this candle smells like orchids — which reminds me of my engagement shoot, running through the lavender fields of France in the spring of ‘94.”
Fragrance sets an impactful, welcoming tone for people settling in or stopping by.
THE LOOK
Sweater, Todd Snyder; Trousers, Ralph Lauren
When experiencing fragrance, we all start in the same place through form — and end in another place through function. As you daydream, new details will continuously arise to create a sharper image of who and what you love. You might even say that Preston’s candles subliminally encourage introspection and meditation — the building blocks of a modern man.
As you’re walking alongside Preston through upstate, highrises, and summering in Ellsworth — I encourage you to consider where your paths overlap and diverge. Take note of the colors and textures which standout to you in your daydreams, your camera roll, and even old photo albums. These elements make for the perfect thesis when designing your home.
And if I may, the second most impactful to fragrance is light.
BO: What drove you to start with candles?
PK: I spent upwards of 15+ years working for the big lifestyle brands. Close to a decade at Ralph Lauren in creative services and advertising styling. And then I ran creative for Belstaff in London and directed fashion for American Eagle Outfitters.
Particularly with Ralph Lauren, I’ve always worked with brands which have a heartbeat and a DNA. Something about the brand spreads into every aspect of your day, whether it be through scent, texture, or just the look of something. I’ve always been enamored by the power of scent exercised by Ralph Lauren to evoke an emotion, a place, a feeling.
I grew up on a small farm in Pennsylvania in a modest household, picking apples in orchards, working at a Blockbuster store, and as a school janitor. I wasn’t born into the world of fashion. I found myself in this wild business by giving back to people in a digestible way, no matter where they’re located.
That’s the concept behind Preston Konrad Home — living a stylish life doesn’t have to be expensive and complicated. It doesn’t mean you have to buy a $3,000 sofa and repaint your entire home. When in fact, the easiest and most thoughtful way for me to makeover a room is with fragrance.
I would say that home fragrance has recently progressed from an overlooked luxury to a self care necessity. And out of all the things I could have done, I wanted to create something more meaningful than just dropping a bucket hat or hoodie collection.
We’ve created something that can evolve and expand across lifestyle categories and diverse communities.
BO: Tell me more about your affordable price point.
PK: Affordable means something different to everyone and by no means am I saying that $48 for a candle is cheap. People kept asking me to recommend a clean, affordable candle and I never knew what to tell them. The $20 candles out there aren’t clean and of course, the $80+ candles out there aren’t affordable.
So, I developed it myself using vegan wax, coconut soy, no phthalates, no phosphates, no dyes, and many other strict guidelines — all within a mid-ranged price. They’re made nearby in Massachusetts by a small, independent manufacturer.
BO: Tell me more about your affordable price point.
PK: Affordable means something different to everyone and by no means am I saying that $48 for a candle is cheap. People kept asking me to recommend a clean, affordable candle and I never knew what to tell them. The $20 candles out there aren’t clean and of course, the $80+ candles out there aren’t affordable.
So, I developed it myself using vegan wax, coconut soy, no phthalates, no phosphates, no dyes, and many other strict guidelines — all within a mid-ranged price. They’re made nearby in Massachusetts by a small, independent manufacturer.
BO: Are there any apartments or homes from the past you really miss? What breadcrumbs, like fragrance, do you think tie your spaces together as you move?
PK: I do have a place that I miss. When I was living in Boston for college — and I don’t know quite know how we did this — but a bunch of friends pulled together for a beautiful Brownstone. It was in Beacon Hill on cobblestone, tree-lined streets with 1800’s crown molding and a working fireplace. Being kids, we didn’t quite appreciate what we had and I always think about it when I visit.
I’ve moved quite a bit, mostly between Los Angeles and New York, and I’ve learned that there are certain finishing touches like fragrance which emotionally connect you with your new home, as well as where you’ve lived in the past.
I approach interiors much like I do fashion. If I’m wearing Gap jeans and a Uniqlo top, I’ll pair it with a vintage Hermes belt. This high-low look works great for everyone. It’s the same with coffee table books from a flea market in Chicago or that dry grass you picked with your boyfriend on a trip upstate.
It’s always about the finishing touches for me — even when I’m front row at Fashion Week rocking $10 Levi’s from Salvation Army, wondering how I even made it here from a small town in Pennsylvania.
living a stylish life doesn’t have to be expensive and complicated.
THE LOOK
Sweatshirt, AMI Paris; Loafers, Gucci; Khakis, Dockers
BO: What have you learned about the business of making clean products?
PK: Honestly, most competitors are just marking up their products as much as possible. We’re selling direct-to-consumer, rather than brick-and-mortar, so our consumers can save more. It really can be done sustainably.
I always say that “life’s more fun with a little bit of style”. It shouldn’t make you nervous about your bank account or having someone else in your home. We’re offering an easy and conscious way to feel more in touch with yourself and your friends while everyone is staying at home.
BO: What is your definition of the modern man? What are the moments we can invite candles into our lives?
PK: The modern man above all, is kind. Someone who’s not afraid to show his love for curating his own world. Caring for his car, decorating his apartment, maybe trying bronzer in the mornings, wearing European forward-fitting pants. The modern man is very confident in his sensibilities and not afraid to show the more artistic side to his lifestyle.
Men with relaxed boundaries are able to have more thoughtful moments throughout the day. It’s about setting aside time to be your best. Now that I’m at home all the time, working out at home in the mornings has become a ritual for me. It’s still dark outside with the sun rising, candles filling the room with familiar fragrances, everyone is still asleep and I’m all alone.
THE LOOK
Coat, Zara
The modern man is very confident in his sensibilities and not afraid to show the more artistic side to his lifestyle.
BO: If you had to cast your fragrances in a movie, what would it be?
PK: I love that question. Each fragrance is based on a time in my life which I’ve shared with my followers, mostly through Instagram. I designed them to be seasonless because sometimes I want to experience a citrus fragrance to escape the winter months or vice versa. It’s like white denim right after Labor Day — just rock it when it feels right.
The Ellsworth candle would be a 1970’s Robert Redford. Dreamy, rugged, intriguing, inspirational — I have a whole mood board in mind already. This was the town where I grew up in Maine on the lake. Long sunsets, walks with my mom, drinks on the dock.
The Highrise candle would be a sultry female — or maybe even Daniel Craig, Idris Elba. Imagine a sexy hotel lobby in Manhattan. I had an influencer DM me and say, “I just wanted to let you know this candle turns me on.” She posted that on her stories and my website crashed.
The Upstate candle — oh man, it’s been doing gangbusters for us. People are obsessed with the sophisticated and rugged fragrance. Maybe I’d cast David Beckham? We have a beautiful new home in upstate and took our followers along for the ride — first through Instagram and now through fragrance.
BO: How do your candles interact with other fragrances in the home?
PK: It’s funny you say that, I’ve never had so many candles burning at once in my life.
I always get cooking out of the way first, then I’ll find one candle or mix a few candles with complementary fragrances as dinner turns to drinks and dessert. I think it’s important to allow each flavor profile to live on its own.
Fragrance sets an impactful, welcoming tone for people settling in or stopping by.
BO: Do you have anything like dried eucalyptus, fresh followers, and anything else you keep in your home?
PK: I always have white roses on the coffee table. Buying fresh flowers while you’re running errands is one of the best parts about living in New York City. They’ve always been super important to me.
BO: What’s next with Preston Konrad Home?
PK: There are cartons overflowing with new concepts right behind me. You can expect more candles coming soon and we’ll begin bringing fragrance into other areas of your life, as well.
