Home, sweet, home. There's nothing quite like it – and it's no surprise that many of us may associate certain scents and fragrances with places, so why not give your home a scent to be remembered by?
If you're one to enjoy perfumes and tailoring a scent specific to you, then it only makes sense that you'd want the same for the home you occupy on a day-to-day basis. You wouldn't just pick up a random fragrance on the shelf for yourself, but admittedly, we do this so often for our home fragrances when trying to make our rooms smell good.
I'll be so real with you – I never really thought about home fragrances up until recently. Of course, I'm a sucker for a good scented candle and using essential oils in my diffuser, however, it was all a little mindless on my end and I just ended up picking up whatever was the cheapest or currently on offer.
I didn't have a game plan and what would result is a bunch of muddled scents in my home. It wasn't bad, per se, but it also felt counterintuitive because instead of opting for scents that complemented each other, they were all overpowering and battling against one another. But I think I've got the hang of it now.
Why you should give your home a signature scent
'A signature home scent is probably as important as any other part of your home's decor. Done right the right scent should leave people with a warm impression of your home, done wrong and it could be overpowering or off-putting,' says Simon Constantine, founder of ånd fragrance.
75% of our daily emotions are triggered by scent, so placing them in a space can evoke a huge range of emotions. From the calming effects of lavender and neroli in aromatherapy to the nostalgic and divine associations of incense, understanding the desired emotional response is key to finding the perfect fragrance.
'Scent-scaping is a crucial component in interiors,' says Franky Rousell, founder of Jolie Studios. 'You can totally transform a room from being plain and bland to something luxurious through the power of fragrance. It's important to understand the emotion you want to draw out of a space and then find the perfect fragrance to match that.'
Taylor Perlis, fragrance evaluator at Yankee Candle continues, 'Since fragrance and memory are linked, we are 100 times more likely to remember something we smell over something we touch or hear. Each smell we encounter is processed in the same part of our brain as memories, emotions, and associative learning.'
How to give your home a signature scent
Gone are the days of grabbing whatever's on offer on the supermarket shelves. Pick your home fragrances intentionally, and you'll thank yourself for it later on.
1. Choose your scent
Pick something that feels like it suits you and your style. If you're one to enjoy fruity, light scents for your own personal fragrance, perhaps extending that into your home is the way forward. For myself, I love vanilla and scents that give off major bakery vibes, so anyone who visits me can expect a lot of that in my home.
Taylor Perlis at Yankee Candle adds, 'The connection between fragrance and emotions is influenced by our experiences and background. If you are looking to boost your mood through the power of scent, remember to look for fragrances that will spark positive memories and past experiences. Fragrance can guide you to a happier life!'
If you're after a sweet scent that isn't too overpowering, this candle has subtle scents of peony, rose, strawberries, and mosses that will complement whatever room it's in.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you like a relaxing woody scent that'll invite you to curl up with a good book by a roaring fire, this diffuser from The White Company is a winner.
Want to up the ante even more on the sweetness even more for a warm, delicious fragrance in your home? This candle is my personal favourite (and scent of choice for my own home, FYI).
2. Consider how you're using the space
'Next spend some time thinking about how you are using the space, if it's for eating and entertaining then it should work with food and drink rather than fighting against it. There are great subtle 'gourmand' scents that could work to add to the evening,' suggests Simon Constantine at ånd fragrance.
'For clean crisp notes something that is fresh but relaxed might be better and for personal space such as a lounge vibe you don't want to be overwhelmed so comforting notes or perhaps something a bit zen.'
3. Choose your preferred method of scenting your home
'Once you have picked the right one for you then I’d suggest you work to ensure it slips effortlessly into your life. I'd veer away from those automatic ‘toilet door’ spray and spray plugins and instead pick more subtle ways to incorporate the scent,' advises Simon Constantine at ånd fragrance.
'Diffusers can give a background scent to a space which can then be topped up with candles or even wax melts shortly before you expect visitors. I would also avoid those cheapy air fresheners as they tend to disappear shortly after spraying.'
Of course, there's also the traditional candle that does more than just make a room smell good but also helps with creating ambience.
'There's nothing quite like a relaxed evening spent at home within a space made to feel serene and cosy. So often we find ourselves worrying about what could happen when in actual fact these stresses never come to fruition. Candles are perfect for creating a comfortable and enjoyable ambience, with their gentle flicker and beautiful fragrances,' adds Taylor Perlis at Yankee Candle.
Once you've created the optimal vibe you're after, you'll only wish you had done it sooner – believe me. If you think there's no greater compliment than being told you smell good, wait until you get complimented for your home's fragrance.
