Emily Gunselman
Candle-Maker & Founder
Hi, I’m Emily, Short Hills, NJ mom and local candle-maker.
I started my clean candle company, Birch House Candles, in 2016 after recognizing the need for elegant, clean-burning candles. But my passion goes beyond creating candles—it's about offering busy women a meaningful way to take a pause and indulge in the moment.
A single scent has the power to transform an entire space, uplift your mood, bring back cherished memories, or even help create new ones. To me, it's more than just wax and wicks—it's about honesty, intentionality, and appreciating life’s small, beautiful moments.
I hope you discover a scent that truly lights you up!
Indulgent Candles Made for Everyday Moments
based in Short Hills, NJ
We are dedicated to hand-pouring beautiful soy candles with premium fragrances that are environmentally safe. Inspired by simple and natural beauty as well as an obsession with candles, Emily Gunselman, Owner, and Candle Maker, set out to make a luxury candle that is accessible, handmade, and 100% sourced in the USA. After hours of burn testing, wick selection, and perfecting fragrances, Emily is proud to offer beautiful and indulgent soy candles for all to enjoy. Each candle is made entirely by hand. Birch House Candles uses renewable U.S. grown soy wax, which burns longer and cleaner, eco-friendly and non-toxic cotton wicks, and premium phthalate-free fragrance oils. No color dyes are added, which allows the feature to be pure cream soy wax.
What We Believe In
SMALL-BATCH, BY HAND.
We take the highest care in how we make our products and the quality of the ingredients we use. Our handmade, small-batch, and artisan goods are crafted with soul. And we believe that there is a story that melds into a handmade product that you just won’t find on a big box shelf.
MOMENTS TO UNWIND.
We know that you struggle to find time for rest, relaxation, and moments of ease. At Birch House, we hope to help give you back this moment. Take a moment, breathe deeply, and smell the roses- eucalyptus, vanilla, or nutmeg… take what you need for this moment.
EASY INDULGENCES.
Luxury home goods should feel easy, relaxed, and cozy. We believe in the simplicity of indulgence- it’s not about being decadent, but rather taking a moment to deeply inhale a scent, watch a dancing flame, or have an intimate candlelit chat with those you care about.
“I feel candles should be an experience, from the way it looks, the packaging, to the way it burns and fills the room. candles are a simple luxury everyone can enjoy!”
Featured In
the Co-CO UNCOVERED, pg. 39
Emily Gunselman is the founder and creative force behind Birch House Candles, a brand born in 2016 from a desire to fill a void, both personally and within the home fragrance space. What began as a creative outlet quickly evolved into something deeper: a company built not just around a product, but around a feeling.
For her, a candle is never just wax and wicks; it is ritual, and a pause in an otherwise full life. Clean, non-toxic ingredients are foundational to every product she creates, as finding candles and diffusers that are both safe and beautifully scented shouldn’t be complicated. Beyond clean formulations, the true heart of Birch House lies in the care and detail that go into each pour and every gift she packages.
As Birch House continues to evolve, the mission remains simple: to spark joy every day. In a world that moves quickly, there is power in slowing down, in sharing the light, in beautiful scent. Being surrounded by other women who are building, dreaming, and leading with heart reinforces that this work matters.
What began as a small idea today stands as proof that when passion meets purpose, something lasting is created.
Photo By, Jenny Mayfield
Information and FAQs
