Featured image for Nota Bene Wares

Nota Bene Wares

by Andrew Gibbs on 08/11/2014 | 4 Minute Read

Nota Bene Wares was formed by Matthew Brooks in 2012 in Nottingham, England. It was bourne of a passion for hand-produced, thoughtfully designed objects that are simple, hardwearing and beautiful. All branding and packaging was designed by Matthew, who is inspired by the history of everyday life.

"This is overlaid with a great interest in history and in particular the history of everyday life and of design, and it is our intention that this is reflected in the products we sell. However, whilst you will see historical references in our products, they are by no means slaves to the past; they simply resurrect the bits that are today refreshingly different by contrast to the sea of disinteresting, ubiquitous items which fill our daily lives."
Editorial photograph
"Our candles are made by hand in small batches in our workshop, using only natural, botanical fragrances and wax for a clean, even burn. They are hand wrapped and feature a laboriously hand-pleated top and base, which is a nod to the toilet soap packaging of the past. We print all of our labels ourselves on a 1950s letterpress which achieves a unique and distinctive tactile and sightly imperfect finish. Our candles are topped by a disk which is blind embossed with our logo using a 19th Century embossing press."
Editorial photographEditorial photograph
"The fragrances we use in Nota Bene Wares scented goods are composed entirely in-house, using only natural essential oils and botanical extracts. They are inspired by the smells of English life past and present, and are designed to offer an olfactory re-imagination of warming woodland bonfires, fragrant Christmas pomanders, the cold stone and cut herbs of the still room or a brush past the scented leaves of the parlour geranium."
Editorial photograph
"Our scents are both simple and complex, and like all honest, natural products will develop and evolve when used. They are not strong nor overpowering, creating a more natural experience of fragrance- imagine catching a whiff of wood smoke carried on a breeze or the accidental but harmonious smell when an old wooden drawer, filled with the roots and resins of an old apothecary, is opened."
Editorial photographEditorial photographEditorial photographEditorial photographEditorial photographEditorial photographEditorial photograph

Design: Matthew Brooks, Nota Bene Wares