THE FOUNDER

I am Raph, the hands, heart and mind behind Casa de Coralina.

As a Brazilian living in the UK, I didn't always feel at home here. I felt many times as a stranger, in a strange place.

I started a journey of searching for belonging, so ended up creating candles that would sooth my heart and mind.

I hope the products I craft will help you to feel like you belong where you are and feel at home, wherever home is.

OUR HISTORY

THE POET'S HOME

When I was a child, I visited a poet's house during a school trip. She published her first book when she was 75 and became one of the most important poets in the country. I fell in love with her story.

Her name was Coralina.

WHERE DO I BELONG?

When I sold everything I had and bought a one way ticket to the UK, I felt a mix of excitement and loss. At first, I didn't feel like I was home. The language, the food and the way people lived their lives felt alien to me. Don't get me started with the weather...

But strangely, when I went for holiday in Brazil, I also didn't feel like I belonged there anymore.

I was in a nowhere place for a while.

HOLDING IT TIGHT

It was a long journey to feel like I belong where I am.

When I started making candles, I was drawn to the scents that reminded me of my childhood home. Lemongrass, cinnamon, fig, lavender... They sent a direct message to my brain that I came from somewhere, that I cared deeply about my memories and I loved that part of my story.

But I also fell in love with new scents, like honey, spiced orange and caramel, that represented this new chapter in my life.

I finally felt like I could hold both, my past and my present really tight with both arms. I had given permission to myself to belong where I was, to love the present and be proud of my past.

WHERE DO YOU FEEL AT HOME?

We move from our homes, cities, countries. We learn other languages, eat different food, fall in love - or out of it.

There is something fundamental about feeling at home - holding our values tight and being faithful to who we are.

We are our home - and we take it, wherever we go.

OUR VALUES

  • We have fun

    We take your needs seriously, but we have fun in the process.

    We embrace mistakes, learn along the way, make fun of ourselves and build a light life.

  • Beautiful in all things

    We are love art, nature, beautiful things, elegance, high quality, and mesmerising processes.

    We go the extra mile to make it feel and look good.

  • We take care of our planet

    Sustainability is our way of
    living. We are vegan-friendly, reuse and recycle, encourage customers to be mindful and promote sustainability.

  • Good people

    We build genuine relationships with the people we interact with, connecting with empathy, truthfulness and joy. We show gratitude, we forgive mistakes, and we create communities.