A House Like This Candles & Aromatherapy Co

Where it all began

Ky’s creative journey began at London college of Music, where he completed a music degree. He had notable releases and collaborations before changing direction and establishing a career in digital marketing for start-ups such as Yieldify and Ometria. Life in this fast-paced industry could be intense at times, and so Ky discovered the art of mindfulness to help him navigate the hustle and bustle of corporate London life, and keep zen on the job.

Not too far away, James had been studying fashion at Westminster University and landed work with prestigious brands such as Vivienne Westwood, COS, Religion and I SAW IT FIRST, before going freelance as a Graphic Designer.

The pair met in 2010, and soon discovered that they had a shared love of music, design and home interiors that ignited a mutual spark. This formed the building blocks of an idea to start a business together one day; a business that would allow them to combine their passion, creative skills and professional expertise.

“We knew from very early on that we wanted to start a business together,” says James. “It made sense as two creative people to join forces and create something special.” “However, setting down roots had to come first. Before we could dream of building a business together, we wanted to build a home,” says Ky.

In 2016, Ky and James purchased their first property in South Norwood, taking on a huge renovation of a Victorian terrace. Their eye for design, styling and home interiors allowed them to create a beautiful, purposeful home in which to begin life as a family and as a business.

They documented this renovation journey on Instagram, building up a huge following on their account @ahouselikethis, and it was during this journey that the couple discovered just how much the power of fragrance contributed to their understanding of mindful living.

In the lead up to Christmas 2017, Ky and James made scented candles for family and friends, which went down a storm. The more they immersed themselves in the world of fragrance and essential oils, the more they realised that this was their calling. A House Like This was born!

Fast forward to today, and AHLT are proud to have been featured in British Vogue and Sheerluxe, and collaborated with established brands such as IKEA, Rockett St George and the streaming service NOW.

“Starting our Instagram was just meant to be a way of documenting our journey; we never thought it would lead to creating a platform for our own venture, let alone work with so many incredible interiors and lifestyle businesses,” says Ky.

Along with their adorable puppy, Ezra, Ky and James continue to provide inspiration for home interiors and design through their social media channels, and their online shops are thriving. Their website and instagram shop have evolved into virtual havens for people seeking high-quality fragrance products to make their homes look, smell and feel amazing, as well as skin care products and mindfulness content to nurture the body and soul.

It’s been an incredible journey so far, but Ky and James have no plans to take their feet off the pedals any time soon. The pair have spent the 2020/21 lockdown period developing new products, new branding and new ways to take the business forward and they cannot wait to share it all with you!

The AHLT Team 

Our team is small but mighty, meet the brains behind our homegrown mindful interiors and fragrance business.

James Burrow - Co Founder

James studied Fashion Design at University of Westminster, moving into roles for notable apparel retailers COS, Vivienne Westwood, ISAWITFIRST and Religion. He specialises in Graphic Design, offering his skills to small growing businesses and social enterprises as well as providing creative for A&R and Marketing efforts in the music industry. At AHLT he powers all of the product design and production as well overseeing logistics with our D2C and wholesale offerings. 

Ky Ismet - Co Founder

Ky has worked in Digital Marketing for 11 years for leading the growth of high performing Customer Success organisations that partner with ambitious retailers to deliver exceptional marketing experiences through cutting-edge technology.Whilst not leading the CS team at Customer Data and Marketing Platform Ometria, which won the Future of SaaS team Award in 2021, he runs AHLT with his partner James. Ky oversees marketing strategy covering social media, partners and digital experience.  

A HOUSE LIKE THIS LTD Company number 11783503. 3 Gresham Road, London, United Kingdom, SE25 5JT