Stoff Nagel Candle Holder

October 5, 2020

A true icon in design is the Stoff Nagel candle holder designed by Werner Stoff on behalf of Hans Nagel in the 60s. Merely 20 years after the end of world war II, Hans Nagel met the architect and artist Werner Stoff in the design community of Cologne. Nagel had long been interested in making beautiful things for the dinner table, while Stoff had been working as a performing artist and had developed his own signature line of rounded objects. Their shared loved for good design and passion for art sparked a creative match.

Nagel told Stoff he was struck by an idea during a skiing vacation in The Alps. An accidental backward tumble forced him to break the fall with his hand, thus creating the finest three finger-holes in the snow. The perfect holes brought a candle holder to his mind.. a beautiful and simple design with room for three slim candles. Danish design company Stoff Copenhagen re-launched the timeless icon using Nagel’s original drawings.

I really love the story behind the design of the candle holder. Coincidence and passion that turns into a extra ordinary and timeless design. The Stoff Nagel candle holder is very versatile. It can be used as a single element or combined and stacked into unique shapes. And it’s not just a candle holder, with of without candles it’s a beautiful sculpture as well. I am the lucky owner of the black holders and the Nagel Antique. Each antique candle holder is hand-painted so it’s impossible to find two completely identical ones. The beauty of the antique candle holder is that it patinates and can get traces of use over time, it makes each antique candle holder even more unique.

The perfect candles for the Stoff Nagel candle holder are from Ester&Erik. A Danish family-owned company specialized in making high-quality candles since 1987. The handmade candles are made out of paraffin wax. The long and tapered shape with a cone-shaped bottom fits perfectly in the Stoff Nagel candle holders.

Photography and styling beeldSTEIL | Wen van Woudenberg

In collaboration with mister design, Stoff Nagel

Candles: Ester&Erik