Candlemaker Tim Sullivan has found a new home for Timothy Jay Candles in the City of West Hollywood not far from the original store. The fragrance and candle studio is moving from its home at 1107 N Harper Avenue to new a location at 7209 Santa Monica Boulevard.
The boutique had till the end of this month to vacate the premises after being at that space since 1998. Sullivan, who founded the small business 24 years ago, reached out to the community to help him find a new space. “I’m being told that I must vacate my store because someone else has taken the entire property over,” he said via a Facebook post. “If you hear of any stores available or space available please contact me. I appreciate it. Thank you so much.”
“We found a new home,” he told WEHO TIMES. “It’s next door to Jones restaurant and across the street from the Formosa Cafe. We are now closer to the West Hollywood Gateway on Santa Monica Boulevard.”
Sullivan considered moving to a spot on Holloway Drive, west of La Cienega Boulevard, but parking was an issue and he didn’t see too much walking traffic. He kept searching until he found the new space on historical Route 66. “The funny part is there are a lot of available spaces in West Hollywood,” he said. “And they are very expensive. They don’t even laugh when they they tell you the prices and a lot of them need to be redone by like 60 percent.”
He also expressed gratitude for the support he received from the community. “Everybody was wonderful,” he said. “My friends Richard Ayoub, Bill McDermott and even John Duran were helpful in getting the word out and making suggestions.”
Timothy Jay Candles is open and continues to operate during the move. He said he should be in the new location within two weeks.
The famed artisan studio in West Hollywood is known for creating handmade fragrance candles for private label and international clients. “An intricate process, but everything is done by hand,” reads a post on the business website. “We work in stages melting and pouring the wax hand-placing the wicks and letting them dry properly for 24 hours”
The early days of Timothy Jay Candles can be found in their About Page:
“It’s a phenomenon…a little studio tucked away on a side street in West Hollywood producing thousands and thousands of candles for stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, landmarks like the Beverly Hills Hotel and the famous clothing designer Dana Buchman!
In 1998, when I moved in, we had to clear out the remnants of a dry cleaner that had been in the location for years. Slowly, garment trolleys disappeared and long tables were installed to hold the products and materials needed to produce our candles. Soon “locals” were wandering in, following the trail of fantastic fragrances that had wafted into the air. They stayed to watch us hand pouring and the entire process and were fascinated and amazed that we were able to handle such quantities. Orders and Private Labels started rolling in. We needed a “front” to keep in tune with the changing neighborhood, so I designed a small “Studio” space that worked for both clients and the walk-ins.
You might say the whole process is of another time … a time when artisans we’re proud of their work and when finished products were the direct result of hand work rather than machines. I like it that way and I must say … so do my customers!”
What a great ending to a potential closing of a treasured business. Bravo!
Weho is such a tough place for a small biz thanks to super high rents.
So happy to read this. Tim is a West Hollywood legend.
What in bloody ‘ell is “walking”????
I live around the corner. Welcome and looking forward to visiting.