Cathedral

2 reasons why I love this store:
1) They sell Kai perfume. If you haven’t heard of this stuff then go to Cathedral RIGHT AWAY. It’s meant for those who like floral scents.
2) The interior is an amazing space. When I want to get away, I visit this store and automatically feel like I’m in another world.
It’s kind of dark inside, but I mean HELLO– it’s a candle store. It gets you in the mood to buy candles! They also have a variety of soaps and lotions by Tocca and Voluspa. I can smell it now ummmm. Great place to find gifts ;) Then you can walk just a few doors down to Babette Schwartz for more gift hunting!

I love, love, love this place. Yes, it is a candle store… but it’s so much more. This is an elegant display of high end luxury candles. This store is not jam packed with novelty candles. It is more an artistic variety of hand picked scents in artistic jars. There is a wide variety of different scents based on your desires as well as complementary scented items to provide a whole experience. There are lotions and oils as well. If you look around, there are also some other gift items that are interesting and intriguing. This is not a store to rush through. Take your time and investigate each brand and scent. There seems to be such a wide variety that everyone would be able to find at least one scent to please their needs. Aside from the scents, I found myself in love with several different glasses that the candles came in. The sales people are friendly and helpful. There is no pressure when you’re here. The only problem is narrowing down your choices so you don’t walk out with one of everything in the store.

Having a hectic day and need to escape for a few moments? Drop into Cathedral, close your eyes, and give your nose a smell-​sation!!! If you’re feeling randy, you might want to take some of your favorite smells home with you. Maybe extend the relaxation into a bubble bath?
Anyway, they have great products and even nicer people. I really like nice, helpful people. Go see the folks at Cathedral and get your candle ON!

Awesome store for gifts — candles, matchbooks, various home stuff.
I ended up buying a book of matches just for the design on the box, and I don’t even use matches!

Amy you are AMAZING!
Your selection is always excellent and I am so thrilled that you seem to be the only store front I can get my Tokyo Milk immediate gratification on.
I hope you always carry this line. Le Petit fragrance is my number one favorite and I don’t see switching anytime soon. If I don’t wear that… then it’s Hanae Mori. Usually it’s the one from your store though because I am attention starved… borderline attention whore… and love the compliments that come with the wearing for the fragrance.
I drive a Prius now so I should have no troubles with the green-​police attendant anymore! :)

I LOVE this place! They have high quality, unique products that are perfect for gifts — only catch… you’ll want to keep it for yourself :-)
But seriously — my favorite part about this place is that the fragrances of their products (cause they have great lotions, perfumes, and soaps too) because they all smell AMAZING and are mostly — if not all — made with essential oils. For some reason there is something so much more desirable about products that are made with natural ingredients. Wouldn’t you agree?

No you will not find Febreze or PartyLite, but what you will find is some very nice candles along with sensual gifts. No I’m not talking Spencers Gifts! I am talking bath soaps, parfums and the most beautiful card selection. Great place for gifts! Let’s keep these small businesses open. Cathedral has been around for 15 years!

Cathedral has been a fixture in Hillcrest for the past 15 years. Ever since when we moved to San Diego, Cathedral has become a «must take to» spot for all our out of town visitors. Amy has actually seen me twice in 2 days with a different set of friends! Owner Amy Capano always dreamt of starting her own retail business in the home accessories niche and now we know why. From Amy’s product knowledge and friendliness, to the selection and presentation of the merchandisecess of her all contribute to making Cathedral a success.
You will appreciate the artistic merchandising as seen from the front window and throughout the store.
A great gift item, or treat for yourself, is a Voluspa candle from one of their unique collections. A unique choice comes with three candles that burn together to create a unique and special scent.
My favorite is the Baltic Amber.
The scents are as unique as the packaging the candles come in.
In addition to the Voluspa candles there are gifts from Nest, Tocca, Locust and the candle collection from Aquiesse Portfolio Collection to name a few.

Gifts from Jonothan Adler’s collection of home products are also available and a colorful selection of Chilewich Placemats to choose from as well.
There are so many items to see and definitely smell. Being able to walk through the store, chat with Amy and smell the scents is truly the way to buy, but if you’re unable to do that, check out Cathedral’s website:

This store introduced me to Voluspa candles and they are now kinda an obsession of mine. I have at least one in every room. I also picked up the Apartment Therapy book that I couldn’t find anywhere else a while back. I really need to go back here soon it has been way too long since my last visit!

They yummy smells knock me from outside the door. Great service. Wide variety of candles. Fantastic, and first stop for gifts for me. Everyone loves a candle.

Love this little place! Purchased the cutest card here, along with a lovely pumpkin chai seasonal candle and a perfect set of ceramic peacock coasters for my place. A little pricey, but great in moderation :) What a great find! Perfect place to find that ideal gift… I could buy almost everything here if my paycheck allowed it!

Cathedral is my preferred store for candles and birthday cards. I’ve purchased a number of Jonathan Adler ceramics, and Chilewich items and everything looks gorgeous at home. Cathedral is like a good chocolate martini: classy, expensive, addictive… oh so good.

Me = Love Cathedral. Everyone who works here, and especially the owner, Amy, is helpful and knowledgeable. Whether shopping for yourself or for a gift, the staff will help you find the perfect item at the perfect price point.
Speaking of price point — yes, some of their candles tend to be on the expensive side, but there are also more reasonably priced candles, too. Don’t expect to find your grandma’s nasty smelling Cookie Dough Yankee Candles, here!!!
Price, Quality, Selection… Nobody Even Comes… Err, wait a minute. Wrong place.
Check them out! Tell them Signore sent you!!!

Love, love, LOVE this store! Royal Apothic is my absolute fave: D

Beautiful items in this store and when you walk by you’re engulfed in a scent-​sational (wow) cloud of aroma’s.
I’m a candle freak and this is my heaven. The only problem is that a lot of the items are overpriced.
Great for gifts.

More fancy euro-​trash home décor/​scent stuff than you can shake a stick at… they have that overpricedsoontobeknockedoffandattarget white plate with the red coral or black fleur de lis imprint you’ve been looking for… i did pick up a candle that was called 007… it smelled like leather… i kinda think it should have smelled like watered down bombay… i thought bond liked high-​end liquor not hide… nevertheless…lots of fun stuff at inflated prices… but if you’re into browsing, you can spend hours just whiffing all the imported, exotic and/​or obscure fragrance lines… and make sure to ask the sales girl to tell you about every single one… she’ll have time… i’ve only ever been the sole customer the few times i’ve visited…

catherdral is awesome. they have lots of stuff for home furnishings that you really can’t find anywhere else in san diego. the prices are a little on the high side, but you have to expect that from a boutique. the location is in the heart of hillcrest but kinda sucks if you have to find parking. the people are really nice and always have the background story on everything in the store. it sucks when you’re shopping and get a shrug when you ask the history of something. they have a pretty good card selection.
i don’t like all the over-​priced candles though. it really bummed me out that the store was/​is primarily a candle store. i can’t really see how people like getting candles as presents. i’m glad that it seems as though the candles are being phased out.

There is a time for frugality, yes, but there is too a time for answering the call of luxury. This is a call I answer far too often… :(
I actually wandered into Cathedral looking for a bedspread. I glance in everyday on my way to work, but had never been inside previously. Was informed they chiefly sold candles/​scented lotions/​oils, but was not to be deterred. It just so happens I get slightly paranoid about my room smelling like Subway, and had been debating where to go for scented candles for –ages-​.
After making many rounds throughout the store, my final decision was a candle by Kobo, with the yuzu leaf scent. Also bought Kimono Rose body lotion for myself, and since I began using it, I’ve felt compelled to rub my skin on everything, marking it with my glorious new scent. Spent the entire second day using it shamelessly exclaiming, «Something smells really good! Oh, wait, it’s me!» to all of my co-​workers.
The owner here is extremely friendly and down-​to-​earth. One thing that bothers me some about Hillcrest is it seems everyone strives to embody a stereotype; many either do so poorly («witty» artist who are actually rather witless or use borrowed wit, ravenously consumerist hippies who overspend at Whole Foods) or just fail to operate past the tasks of maintaining one’s image. The owner and I got into a pretty funny discussion about locals businesses: great places to eat, stores we were sad to see closing shop. She was just incredibly warm but not in a pandering way, and I can’t wait to use up my products so that I can go back for more and bother her again.

This store is mostly just a Jonathan Adler satellite store, with a few tchochkes and a whole lot of candles thrown in. Nicely laid out, but damn, the queen behind the counter didn’t say hi, look at me when I looked at him for a question, or even offer any help. I will admit it looked cute from the street and the candle scents were intoxicating, but a almost verbatim selection of the entire Jonathan Adler line, $ 55 candles and a bitchy employee does not make for a great store.

The Cathedral is the sort of store I can’t resist visiting. Behaving like a bear, my nose led me into its nave to inhale happily all of the aromatherapy candles, home fragrances, and bath products that my olfactory system could humanly «bear»…
The employee there was very helpful, as she guided me through a very interesting line of product designed to ritualize your bath time in an Ayurvedic custom. The French soap I purchased nearly perfumed my whole dwelling with lavender for a modicum $ 7, and lasted me for a month.
If I stayed too long, this is the type of precinct that would compel me to get my own pulpit and preach the virtues of aromatherapy.