Melissa Horvath had just gotten engaged and was perusing the online platform Etsy looking for wedding invitations when this thought came to mind, “I could do this,” she said.
So she did.
The Sewickley resident started a business – Sweet Water Decor — in her basement in December 2014.
“I’ve always lived on the notion of just, let’s just see where God takes us,” Horvath said. “It’s amazing how we started out on a whim with just invitations and mostly just for fun.”
The invitations expanded into creating custom mugs with inspirational sayings. Three years after her first calling she had this feeling about making candles. So back into the basement she went — only this was in her new home — to pour her first candle.
Seven years later, the sale of the two millionth jar of wax burns bright.
Nine months after she started the business, she left her full-time job as a financial analyst at FedEx Ground to pursue Sweet Water Decor full-time. The staff has grown from Horvath to almost 50 employees, including her husband Christopher Horvath. She is designer and CEO, and she and her husband are co-owners.
As she was outgrowing the basement space, she collaborated with All Star Fulfillment in Leetsdale to fulfill some orders for the mugs. Her company has moved several times and is currently located in Cranberry, a space that includes a warehouse, production and office in one location. Horvath named the business Sweet Water Décor (after the town of Sewickley, which means sweet water).
Sweet Water Décor sells stationery, coffee mugs, candles, home decor and other gift items. They make 3,000-4,000 candles on a typical day.
Products have been sold in more than 7,000 boutiques across the United States and abroad as well as larger retailers like Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack, Home Goods and Francesca’s, Target’s e-commerce site and Amazon — the company was one of Amazon’s woman-owned businesses to watch in 2018.
“It just took off,” said Horvath, who decided to make the candles in 2017 because she has celiac disease and can’t have gluten. “I thought it would be cool if I created gluten-free candles so people can feel comfortable having candles in their home, especially if they have celiac. This would be something good-smelling and nontoxic.”
Sweet Water Decor’s Warm & Cozy candle was named “Best Fall Candle Overall” by Forbes Vetted, a section of Forbes.com that discovers top-performing products worth the investment, in 2022.
The candles smell fantastic, last a long time and bring the perfect light to a space, said Marcie Coates of Sewickley, who met Horvath through various shared activities in town. Coates said she loves that handwritten coffee mugs are in Horvath’s own signature handwriting — messages include Homebody, Rise Shine, and You Got This.
“The mugs are the perfect size for coffee, and I love the fun messages each one holds,” Coates said. “Sweet Water Decor brand really reflects who Melissa is — always so uplifting and eager to bring light to others.”
Coates said she gives Sweet Water Decor products as hostess and birthday gifts and that the items are the perfect pieces for a care package “when a faraway friend is in need of a hug.”
A mom of three, Horvath was named one of the top 50 women leaders of Pittsburgh for 2024 in Women We Admire, an industry association that provides news and information on women leaders in business, entertainment, sports, motherhood, medicine, law, and other fields.
Horvath graduated with a bachelor of science in finance and a minor in marketing from Penn State University. One of the company’s candle collaborations was with her alma mater for the school’s annual THON, which raises funds and awareness for childhood cancer. Proceeds from those candle sales benefit the cause. Sweet Water Décor has also partnered with the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation.
“It is cool to give back,” Horvath said. “And it’s great to have a product that smells really good and people will feel good about having in their home.”
Horvath has also been called to author devotionals — books where you set aside a reading for each day — “You Got This,” which is a Bronze Award Winner, selling more than 100,000 copies, “Go For It” and “You Are Made For This.”
Deena Karlsson of Bell Acres met Horvath when Karlsson purchased Horvath’s home. It was a serendipitous meeting and the two became friends, Karlsson said.
“When I read her devotionals I get a boost of energy,” Karlsson said. “I am so motivated by Melissa. She is an authentic and consistent and genuine human being. She lives out her purpose in life.”
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Karlsson applauded Horvath for being able to keep a business afloat during the pandemic in 2020.
“Her effort is herculean,” Karlsson said. “She is inspiring.”
Candles have made it to the homes of celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Kylie Jenner and Mindy Kaling, who have posted about them on Instagram.
“I love bringing light into people’s everyday lives,” Horvath said. “We’re here to help you feel grounded and connected to those moments through cozy, comfortable spaces and fragrances you’ll want to revisit time and time again. There is light in every moment.”
Details: sweetwaterdecor.com