Hidden Gems: Meet Kevin Peterson of Sfumato Fragrances and Castalia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Peterson. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my working life in the culinary world but became interested in perfumery because of all the overlap between how flavors are created and how fragrances are created. Both flavor and scent rely on careful blending of carefully chosen botanicals, and both create unique sensory impressions that last only a brief time. After pursuing scent-making as a hobby for several years, my wife Jane and I launched Sfumato Fragrances, an entirely natural perfumery. We began hosting dinners where we would pair food, fragrance, cocktails, and music in an attempt to synchronize all of our senses. As Sfumato grew, we wanted to open a brick and mortar but wanted the space to have an experiential component as well. We designed our shop to be able to convert into a cocktail bar, Castalia, at night, where we pair each of the cocktails with one of our fragrances. Our shop opened in 2018, and that has been my full-time passion ever since. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The small business world is full of twists and turns. Finding staff has been difficult at times, but as I’ve gotten better at explaining my vision for Sfumato and Castalia, more like-minded people have joined the team and the business has been enriched by their visions, too. Achieving the right balance between maintaining day-to-day operations and pushing to develop new ideas has also been a challenge. There are always more and more mundane tasks that need attention, but I need to carve out time to work on the future of the company. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Sfumato Fragrances and Castalia. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Sfumato Fragrances is an all-natural, niche perfumery, and Castalia is a cocktail bar that creates drinks inspired by Sfumato’s scents. I am enamored with the correspondence between flavor and fragrance and am searching for beauty in the sensory world. Neuroscience is unraveling many of the processes by which scents and flavors are appreciated, and I aim to put these insights into practice in ways that are both approachable and profound. I want to create a sanctuary for the senses, and my goal is to use light, sound, flavor, and scent to create momentary perfection. 

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I have found that most small business owners are exceptionally passionate and exceptionally busy. Most of my networking has occurred when I could meet and work with other business owners on a collaborative project. Also, business owners face many of the same struggles, so as long as you can make initial contact, there is an instant rapport around both the struggles and joys of running a business. 

Pricing:

• Scents: $15-$120
• Custom Scent Development: $450
• Cocktails: $10-15

Contact Info:

• Email: kevin@sfumatofragrances.com
• Website: www.sfumatofragrances.com
• Instagram: @sfumatofragrances
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sfumatofragrances
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZxbB1188EZcz1Oxb3oMuRA

Image Credits
@eeberger
@adventureguyphoto