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Manly scented candles
Green City Bottles – a Raleigh-based “upcycling” company – works with area bars and restaurants to turn empties into recycled home goodies. Their Mandles are available in several sizes – beer, liquor and wine bottles. The all-natural soy Mandles feature scents like Nag Champa, Drakkar Noir and Teakwood. Whether his poison is pinot, pilsner or 80-proof, The Boulevard at South End carries a variety of Green City Bottle products, including tumblers. $15-$40-plus. The Boulevard at South End, 1440 S. Tryon St., www.blvdsouthend.com. Hilary Trenda
Self-watering orchid pots
Take the mystery out of keeping these notoriously temperamental flowers alive. The Eva Solo orchid pots, made of glazed faience in Denmark, allow the plants to draw water as needed through a nylon wick from the water-filled base. The pots measure 6.7 inches in diameter, 6 inches tall and are available in black and white. Available at a number of online retailers, the standard price we found was $69 at www.amazon.com. HT
Seamless power receptacles
It’s hard to envision a wall without cover plates for plugs, switches, telephone, data and cable connectors. But Bocci 22 is a product line of electrical wall accessories that are mounted flush into walls for subtle minimalism. There are two versions: those for drywall and those for stone, wood and other millwork. FYI: The installation looks to be on the technical side and probably not recommended for home-improvement beginners. The starter kit is $250 and components are currently offered in white or custom color orders. www.bocci.ca. HT
