Our Story

Founded in 2016 by Laura Frankenschmidt in the kitchen of her 100 year old cottage in Lyttelton, Christchurch New Zealand.

Over the past 10 years, Laura’s passion for fragrances and entrepreneurial ambitions have evolved the business into one of New Zealand’s market leading home fragrance brands.

Lyttelton Lights is a people focused company, committed to social and environmental sustainability throughout every aspect of its daily operation.

All products are designed and produced at the Christchurch based fascilities.

Product design follows the principles of authenticity curated by nature, sustainable in intention, minimalistic and timeless in identity.

2015

Founded by Laura Frankenschmidt on the principles of sustainability and authenticity, Lyttelton Lights began with a vision to elevate everyday living through thoughtfully crafted home fragrance. With no start-up capital, Laura melted wax for the very first candles over her kitchen stove, hand-wrote business cards, and sourced jars from second-hand stores — a reflection of the creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial drive that continue to shape the brand today.

2016

Lyttelton Lights was formally incorporated as the brand continued to grow from humble beginnings into an emerging New Zealand fragrance company. The 100-year-old cottage in Lyttelton quickly transformed from a home into a working candle studio — with spare rooms converted into storage, the couch making way for trestle tables, and every available space dedicated to production. Early sales at local markets created the foundation for reinvestment, allowing the business to steadily expand, refine its products, and elevate the customer experience.

2017

Lyttelton Lights reached an important milestone with its first major equipment investment — a 50lb electric wax melter taking pride of place on the kitchen bench. As demand continued to grow, the cottage quickly became too small, prompting the move into a storage shed further down the road to support expanding production. Around this time, the brand also evolved visually, with refined new glassware and the introduction of the now-signature embossed Lyttelton Lights lids, marking a new chapter in the company’s growth and identity.

2019 - 2020

Laura continued to expand the Lyttelton Lights range, introducing room fragrances, liquid hand wash, limited editions, and thoughtfully curated accessories. As the brand evolved, it outgrew its original workspace and relocated into a significantly larger, custom-fitted premises designed to support continued growth and production. Despite major unforeseen challenges — including the global pandemic — the company remained resilient, continuing to adapt, innovate, and move forward with purpose.

2021-2026

Lyttelton Lights entered a new phase of growth with the launch of exciting new product developments and the expansion of the team with four additional staff members. Significant investments were also made to elevate production capabilities, strengthen warehousing operations, and further advance the company’s commitment to sustainable practices and long-term innovation.

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Our Story

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019 - 2020

2021-2026

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Our Story

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2015

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