After moving out of their shop in Damariscotta in November, Cara and Michael Gaffney have relocated. They took over the new retail space on the street level of 8 Wharf Street, Boothbay Harbor in December, and have been pouring candle wax all winter.

Seawicks Candle Company’s new space is finished in an industrial interior design, with exposed heat ducts and metallic greys that give it a modern, edgy feel. It is refined and elegant. “We love the industrial look, so we're really happy with it,” Cara said.

The Gaffneys said the shop is something they've dreamed of. “We liked being in Damariscotta, but we wanted to try it here, where we have a real connection,” Cara said. “Now we have a shop in the town that we have such great memories of.” The couple was married on Squirrel Island, where Cara's family has had a summer home since 1927.

Seawicks candles are made the old-fashioned way, all hand-poured in small batches. They only use 100-percent soy wax from American-grown soybeans. The fragrances are delicate — not the overly sweet or powerful aromas that so many scented candles are known for. The business’ website states: “Our scents are a direct reflection of life on the coast.”

The couple started making candles in a boathouse at their home in Edgecomb in 2011. They sold them from their shop in Damariscotta for three years; their candles are sold in 400 retail stores around the country, including L.L. Bean.

Candles can be ordered from their website, too.  “We weren't selling a lot through our website because people want to smell the candles before they buy them,” Michael said. “But people would come in to our Damariscotta store and take candles home, and then order more online. We saw a spike with our online business during the holiday season.”

Aside from the 32 different Seawicks candles, the company has added two more lines: The Weathered Sailor, and one for people more interested in things away from the coast. It's called Farm Fresh. “It's for stores that don't have a coastal vibe,” Michael said. “It has done very well.”

They have also added an all-natural bath soak collection and a citronella candle.

The Gaffneys spent a lot of the winter pouring candles and going to trade shows. On March 29, there was a large table covered with newly poured candles waiting to be cleaned up and labeled to ship to L.L. Bean.

There is still plenty to do before the doors of the new shop open, but it's already apparent that it's going to be a fun, welcoming place. The décor is exciting and upbeat. There's an eight-foot tuna sculpture hanging on one wall. It was with a charter sign on Martha's Vineyard in the 1960s and 1970s. Michael bought it and hauled it back to Maine in a pickup truck. “The tail was sticking out the back gate of the truck,” he said.

Along with the candles there will be some interesting, unusual gifts. “We want to keep it unique. We know what the other shops in town carry, and we want to have things they don’t have. We want our shop to reflect on our brand."

There hasn't been a lot of time to spend getting their new shop ready, with trade shows and making candles.

But the Gaffneys are having a good time with the interior decorating and set-up of their new shop. “It's brand new — we love it,” Michael said. “It's going to be a lot of fun here.”

The Gaffneys have also rented a space in the Jon Marsh Sign Co. building, on Route 27 in Boothbay, for production.

“We're really happy to be in the harbor,” Michael said. “It's a whole new vibe for us. We weren't able to do what we wanted to do with our brand at the last store because of the aesthetics. This place is aesthetically beautiful. I think it's going to lift our brand really well.”

The couple is looking for people to man (or woman) the Boothbay Harbor shop. Go to the Seawicks Candle Company website, www.seawicks.com or call 207-504-6212.

Come to the Open House on April 29 from 5 to 8. The shop will be open that weekend.