Candleholders by Christopher Gentner, Mike Dreeben, Angela Venarchik, Kate Clark, and Anne Carnevale
Photo: Ryan Segedi

1. Christopher Gentner
The metalsmith makes solid brass sculptures for your table. His elegant pillars play with weight, balancing heavy cylindrical bodies atop small conical bases. $150 each. gentnerdesign.com

2. Mike Dreeben
The University of Chicago postgrad transforms scraps of teak and mango wood from his furniture business into sinusoidal candlesticks. $98 to $166. akmdcollection.com

3. Angela Venarchik
The landscape of the Midwest informs most of her simple designs. But her minimal pieces also draw inspiration from the East, embodying Japanese traditions of incorporating ceremony into everyday life. $32. angelavenarchik.com

4. Kate Clark
When she failed to find eye-catching candleholders for her wedding, the artist crafted her own. She now sells gemstone-like ones on Etsy, each precise piece a nod to her background in architecture. $35. etsy.com/shop/curatekatestudio

5. Anne Carnevale
The ceramicist prefers handmade uniqueness to machine-spun perfection. Her red stoneware candlesticks pay homage to Alexander Calder’s abstract sculptures and are available in three playful shapes. $56. carnevaleclay.com