Candlelight is the lowest layer of light in a room and the one most people skip. Seldens carries candle holders from Mercana, mostly in metal, with a handful in glass, wood, marble and ceramic. Black dominates the range, with gold and antiqued gold as the second note, and they sit at a price point where building a set is not an investment decision.

Tapers, Pillars and Multi-Arm Holders

Taper holders are slim and vertical and work best in pairs or in odd-numbered clusters. Pillar holders are heavier and better on their own, on a coffee table or a hearth. Multi-arm pieces hold several candles at once and act as a centerpiece by themselves, which means nothing else has to go on the table. Wood block holders read casual. Marble and antiqued metal read dressier, and they hold their own next to good glassware.

Arranging a Centerpiece People Can Talk Over

Group in odd numbers at three different heights. Two tapers, one mid pillar and one low holder is a reliable formula, clustered near the middle rather than spread evenly end to end. The one rule that really matters on a dining table is to keep the arrangement below the sightline of someone seated, or your guests spend the evening talking around it. On an entry console, height is welcome, because nobody is sitting.

Shop Candles and Holders in Tacoma, Bellevue and Olympia

Metal finishes vary more than their names suggest. Antiqued gold from one maker is not antiqued gold from another, and the only way to match a holder to hardware or a light fixture you already own is to hold the two together. Our Tacoma, Bellevue and Olympia showrooms stage these in full groupings, so you can see how many you actually need before you buy one.