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Perfect the art of home fragrance and you can create a space that is adaptable to different uses and moods.
When it comes to personal fragrance, while some might like to stick to one signature scent no matter what, many more of us are likely to tailor the scent depending on the time of day, the occasion, our mood and the season. The same applies to home fragrance, too: the way your home smells adds an important sensory layer to the wider interior design, and allows you to create distinct environments with a different scent profile.
This bespoke approach has become known as “scentscaping” and has become an important pillar of home fragrance according to Nicola Bonn, broadcaster, beauty writer and co-host of fragrance-obsessed postcast On the Scent, along with fellow nose Suzy Nightingale. “I think that it all really started in the pandemic: people felt that their home had become their whole world, and they needed to feel different in different parts of that world,” she says. “A very easy way to create that is with fragrance, which can evoke a feeling or a mood very quickly.”
Shaping the atmosphere of your home in this way starts the moment you step through the door. “I always think about the people entering my home, and how I want them to feel really welcome,” says Bonn. “So I have a reed diffuser with maybe something amber-y or musky that makes them feel cozy and homely.
“I have two children, so if there are moments when I want them to focus when they’re doing their homework in the kitchen, that’s the time I think citrus, like Amalfi Lemon fragrance, can be really useful, as well as other scents that make you feel alert and energized, such as Spa Restore candles with notes of neroli and eucalyptus. And when the children are in bed, my husband and I can relax with a scent, such as Fireside, which would be too much of a sensory overload for my children.”
Adding scent to your home is an easy way to mark the change of seasons or create an atmosphere that can transport you to another time or place. “It’s nice to reflect what’s around you, and so many people get excited when they bring out their winter scent because it marks the beginning of that time of excitement and joy,” says Bonn. Classic winter fragrances evoke evergreen foliage (such as Nordic Woods), and warming spices, such as cinnamon and cloves, found in Winter.
The part of the brain that processes smell is the same one that processes emotions, learning and memory – so it’s much more effective than a visual cue at being able to vividly take you back. Capitalize on that by introducing a scent that reminds you of special times: it could be something that chimes with the current season, but equally, if you need to be pulled out of the winter doldrums, introduce something with summery notes such as coconut, vanilla or sea salt.
If you’re entertaining, Bonn suggests being mindful of guests’ tastes and opting for something with universal appeal: “Most people enjoy citrus and rose, but something like sandalwood might be a bit divisive. I would never have anything too cloying over dinner: I may like a scent that’s heavy, but for someone else it could give them a headache.”
How you distribute the aroma is also important. Choose ‘always on’ products, such as reed diffusers, for when you want a single fragrance all the time in one place, such as in your downstairs WC or hallway, and candles or a diffuser for multi-functional rooms where the mood or purpose of the space needs to flex, such as kitchens or living rooms. For some people, it’s the ritual of lighting a candle that’s almost as important as the smell itself – whether it marks the tingle of excitement that festive guests are about to arrive or the moment you can sink into a long bath when they’ve all gone home.
Apply some aromatherapy theory to your home with these fragrance ideas.
This content was first published as part of a partnership with Telegraph Media Group and published on telegraph.co.uk.
