selection of candles by 17 & Orchard in Warwick NY

Meet 17 & Orchard’s Luxury Candlemaker Michelle Foster

By Melissa Esposito | September 16, 2024

A beautifully scented candle can transform the ambiance of a room. And while there are countless home fragrance options available, candles made with all-natural ingredients and clean-burning wax keep your home environment both aromatic and healthy. Luxury natural candle company 17 & Orchard, based in Warwick, takes this approach to the next level by offering handmade products that are designed to transport the senses while keeping the air safe. “Our priority is to create nontoxic candles, but we also aim to provide products that are beautifully scented and can fit with anyone’s style,” says owner Michelle Foster, who started the brand in 2020 but has run her shop and studio out of Warwick since February 2024.

We chatted with Michelle to learn more about her philosophy of creating a more sustainable, health-conscious home—that also smells incredible—with locally made luxury candles.

INSIDE+OUT: What inspired your interest in fragrance and candle-making, and how did it become a business?

Michelle Foster: I’ve always been fascinated by scents, even as a little girl; at the mall, I wouldn’t leave without smelling all of the perfumes and candles. I work in advertising, but I learned about how many additives in many of today’s candle brands can be harmful, especially around pets and babies. So, I wanted to create a clean candle. I started testing scents. During the pandemic, I had a lot more time off to test and create candles, and eventually developed branding to launch an online company. We went live in October 2020 and I never actually intended to move into a brick-and-mortar, but the opportunity came up where we live in Warwick that was too perfect to pass up.

Are you originally from the Hudson Valley and what drew you to Warwick?

I grew up on the border of the Hudson Valley in North New Jersey, but I always recalled how beautiful Warwick was with apple picking and that country charm, so my husband and I moved here after getting married. We fell in love with Warwick. Everyone here wants to maintain that same historic charm and style, but there are also tons of things to do. It’s a great community.

Tell us how the company name came about.

I love the number 17; it’s my lucky number and “Orchard” is related to the whole concept of the brand—to be inspired by nature.

What shapes your business philosophy?

We’re often around toxic things in daily life that we can’t control, so we find ourselves buying better cleaning products and cleaner food—but using natural candles can also help keep our air pure. A cleaner wax base is natural, safer, lasts longer and throws fragrance well while free from carcinogens, phthalates and artificial fragrances.

Tell us about your connection to nature, how you decide on a fragrance, and how you make your candles.

All of our scents are inspired by nature, so you won’t find any “baked cookies” type candles—not that there’s anything wrong with those, but all of ours are along the lines of more woodsy, floral and often upstate or travel-themed. For example, we have a collection that’s conceptualized around places we’ve been to or are hoping to go. Our Amalfi candle was inspired by our honeymoon in Italy. Amalfi is known for lemons, fresh herbs and the like, so that destination inspires the candle. We have a Tokyo candle but haven’t made it to Japan yet; we actually planned to go this year but ended up setting up our shop instead. When the time is right, we’ll get there.

Where/how do you source your products?

We source from various suppliers based on quality and availability. For example, our lavender comes from France and we use all-natural fragrances—but not essential oils. There is nothing wrong with them; we just found our own style to match our goals.

Are you planning for this year’s lineup of maker markets, as you have in previous years?

We are still trying to stay active but cut down a lot now that we have a storefront. We’ll be at Fall Field & Supply (Oct 11-13)—that’s a great market. It’s the best of both worlds to be there selling and to have the chance to shop. I’m always so blown away by the other vendors who participate.

Favorite hot spots?

I have always wanted to live in a charming place, but I also love shopping and dining out in Warwick. Drowned Lands is an award-winning brewery. I like RE:FORM Lab Pilates and we check out Pennings Cidery for live music. It has great food and cider, too.

Tell us something about yourself that people might be surprised to know.

My husband and I still hold our individual 9-5 jobs. This is our baby on the weekend. It’s a whole family effort with all hands on deck and we couldn’t do it without the support of our family. I work in pharmaceutical advertising and he’s in sports marketing.

Are there any upcoming events you’d like to share?

We offer public and private candle classes! Our calendar is on the website. It started happening organically, and now we do private parties, bachelorette parties, birthdays, girls’ nights and family reunions—it’s so much fun and so fulfilling to share how exciting creating can be. I love to inspire people to make things with their own hands, and people really get into it.