A Nashville-based lifestyle brand known for its candles and fragrances for all will open a storefront in downtown Charleston this summer.
Ranger Station, founded by Steve Soderholm, will debut at 370 King St., joining its flagship store in Nashville and its West Village location in New York City.
“Charleston has been on our hearts for a long time. What started as a few visits years ago turned into something we couldn’t ignore—the energy, the creativity, the feeling of home. We’ve always believed fragrance should tell a story. Charleston already feels like one of ours, and we can’t wait to share this next chapter with you,” an Instagram post read.
The brand began in 2015, when Soderholm, a working musician with free time on his hands, moved into an old ranger station with his brother and friends. A ranger station is a facility where park rangers work, assist visitors and manage public land.
Inspired by the area, Soderholm began making candles using materials he had around the house, including whiskey glasses.
“I had all these whiskey glasses. I’d pull one down, pour a candle into it, and I was like, what if we make that an actual part of the brand, so we did, and its brought in this whole other sensory aspect of every single one of the fragrances have a cocktail pairing,” he said in a video via the website.
One of the first candles he made, called Leather and Pine, was a nod to working with his grandfather as a child. It remains one of the brand’s best sellers and features notes of tanned leather, pine sap, amber and sandalwood.
Leather and Pine is paired with the Green Point cocktail, made with rye whiskey, Green Chartreuse, sweet vermouth, and Angostura and orange bitters. Its piney aroma complements the scent of the candle.
Aside from candles, Ranger Station also sells perfume, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, hand wash, hand cream, reed diffusers, room and linen spray and bath soaks. The brand emphasizes vegan and cruelty-free formulas, with paraben-and sulfate-free options in select products and phthalate-free fragrance oils sourced sustainably worldwide.
An official opening date has not yet been announced. For updates, visit the Ranger Station website or follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook.
