After years of running the buying offices of big companies like Storehouse Furniture, Pier 1 Imports, Urban Outfitters and Teavana, Patrick Farrell saw a void in the home and gift market, which had left him and his business colleagues stumped.

“Being a product designer myself, I’ve never understood why great design has to cost more than mediocre design,” Farrell says. “With this in mind, my partner and I set out to design, source and produce cool, modern products at great prices.”

Together they established Aesthetic Content, producing candles and other home decor with a clean, modern feel. The candles are made in the USA, packaged in simple yet beautiful vessels for $39. They are free of pesticides, sulfates, parabens and major allergens, which results in a clean-burning candle that is virtually soot- and smoke-free and fills an entire room with complex scent.

The home decor includes bowls, pedestals and centerpieces produced from sustainable and renewable cork. The eco-friendly cork is paired with ceramic, making it safe for dishwashers and microwaves. Prices on these pieces range from $60-$295.

“As a shopper myself, I sometimes don’t appreciate all the work, effort and passion that goes into what I see on store shelves,” Farrell says. “At Aesthetic Content, we touch every piece of every product, as it goes through multiple levels of design, fit and finish, and quality control before it hits the retail stores.”

Farrell has big plans from here. In 2015, he intends to debut textiles and lighting at accessory markets in Dallas, Atlanta, New York and Las Vegas in January and June. He wants Aesthetic Content to become a complete lifestyle brand, expanding its design culture into all areas of the home. The company is on the verge of launching an ecommerce site too.

You can buy Aesthetic Content goods locally at Life of Riley, Nicholson-Hardie, Napa Home and more. With the holidays coming up, we suggest stocking up on the Winter Bosco candle, which smells like fresh snow.

“We hope our passion for modern design, commitment to quality, and authenticity comes through in every item’s unique character and it becomes an enduring thing that people love to use,” Farrell says.