Saint Parfum's candle king captures scents with his sharp sensibility

Spencer Krenke has what is referred to in the scent industry as a "rebel nose." Although he has no classical training in perfumery, he has achieved great success through empirical experience. At Saint Parfum, he uses his natural gift to re-create scents with such accuracy that it's almost like smelling the real thing.

"We're all drawn to do things and I'm lucky to be able to do what I love," says Krenke, whose company's name refers to the concept of a saint being an ordinary person who does extraordinary things.

Krenke and his partner Robert Schwai launched the upscale candle and reed diffuser company last summer, building upon the success of their candle and body care ventures, Aromatherapy of Rome and De-luxe, in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Saint Parfum has a collection of more than 100 fragrances. On my recent visit to their manufacturing space, Krenke escorted me on a scent journey that summoned a flower shop, Hawaii, a field of fresh-cut hay, a Tuscan fig tree and a tomato fresh from the vine. Each scent was complex, nuanced and smelled exactly as promised.

All of Saint Parfum's reed diffusers and candles are handcrafted and poured to order by Krenke or Schwai. Items are packaged with a card detailing the fragrance blend, when it was created and by whom. The presentation is simple and elegant and would make an incredible gift for someone who loves a sweetly scented home.

The candles ($50) are created with soy wax and cotton wicks and burn for 65 hours. The alcohol-free diffusers ($65) come with absorbent reeds that last for months.

Saint Parfum is offering a buy one, get one free offer through June 15 at both their online store and Essenza in Fremont.

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