Your Ultimate Guide to Home Fragrances
Like your sense of taste, your sense of smell is part of your chemosensory system, or chemical senses. The ability to smell is provided by specialised sensory cells located in a small patch of tissue high inside the nose. These cells have direct connections to the brain. What is the significance of this? Because your sense of smell enhances your perception of your environment. Different scents can affect your mood, transport you to a distant memory, and even assist you in bonding with loved ones. Your sense of smell is also important to your health. We explore what methods you can use to bring fragrance into your home and which rooms benefit from which scent.
How to bring fragrance into your home?
Fragrances are housed in many shapes, forms, and methods. Your lifestyle, living situation and dependants could determine which is the best method for you. We outline below the ways you can bring fragrance into your home and their benefits.
1. Scented Candles
A candle is quite easily the most common of all the fragrance family. Everyone has had a candle around at some point in their life. And if you’re new to the fragrance party, then we welcome you! Candles can be simply used as a décor piece as the vessels they come in are becoming prettier by the day. When they are burnt though, the lingering and consistent smell they emit is magic.
You will find now the larger the vessel the more wicks are needed so you achieve a an even burn and the wax melts to the rim. The wicks come in either a traditional cotton or a wooden wick. While cotton wicks are still effective, the wooden wick has become increasingly popular as they are found to be more effective. The wooden wick stays upright throughout the burning process instead of falling into melted wax that needs to pick at after, they burn slower and evenly with a wider lower flame and can create a crackling ambience when burning while also throwing the fragrance.
2. Diffuser
The diffuser is aesthetically pleasing, scents can be made to your preference and easily changed, and depending on the scent, can have well-being benefits. A reed diffuser is housed by a vessel with long wooden stems resting in scented and carrier oil. The oil is absorbed into the stems which emits the scent into the room. Flip the reeds every few months to maintain a strong smell. The more reeds there are the more the scent is emitted but don’t forget to top up the oil. The benefit of a reed diffuser is it can be left unattended and could be a safer option if you have children or pets.
An aroma diffuser is a great option if you would like to change up your scents on a regular basis, control the intensity of the fragrance being thrown, and depending on the diffuser can be set to a timer. Using natural oils, aka essential oils, is important here as you don’t want to be breathing in harmful chemicals from synthetics.
Aroma diffusers are ideal for – as the name suggests – aromatherapy or natural remedies that promote holistic health and wellbeing solutions. Very popular scents include lavender for sleep and eucalyptus for cold and flus. Using a mixture of oil and water, when the diffuser is turned on a mist is formed and dispersed into the air. Choose a diffuser with an intensity control and a timer so you don't have to worry about it running all night and can sleep with peace of mind.
3. Wax Melts
Wax melts are your wick free alternative. To use a wax melt, you place the scented cube of wax over a flameless heat waiting for it to dissolve. Once it starts to melt the fragrance is released into the air filling in a room within minutes. While the fragrance is thrown as much as a candle, and the melt is aesthetically pleasing, though the clean-up is messier than a candle.
4. Room sprays
Room sprays offer an instant effect, last longer and are cost efficient. If you have kids or pets, a spray could be considered a safer option as there is limited chance of them getting into contact with the device and no chance of getting burnt by a flame.
Where to put home fragrances?
Finding the perfect fragrance can be challenging at the start. Not only are there hundreds of scents to choose from but also a matter of where to put them. Finding the right fragrance adds a sense of connection between you and your home and what your home represents. Below we explore which rooms to put fragrance into and which scent is best suited for that room.
1. Entry way
The is the first and last impression you will make on your guests. Our recommendation is to use a fragrance with a woody note. This will evoke a warmth and opulence conveying a message of earthiness. If you like, you can play down the woody scent by blending it with fresh notes of citrus or floral.
2. Living area
It’s a nice aesthetic to have a stunning bouquet of flowers displaying in your living space but sometimes you just can’t have them around all the time (hello hay fever!). So, a lovely floral fragrance is the best way to achieve this. Floral scents are one of the most common among the fragrance families and most often used in women’s fragrances. Floral scents of flowers or a powdery note promote a sense of sensuality and for that reason, floral scents are recommended for the bedroom or living room because they are soothing and calming.
3. Dining room
This is a tricky area. You want to keep it light in here as you don’t want to overwhelm your senses when you have a delicious aromatic meal in front of you. A light mist of a room spray is recommended using a fresh scent.
4. Bedroom
As mentioned before floral notes are perfect for the bedroom as they create a sense of sensuality. An oriental fragrance on the other hand is just as wonderful adding some spice to your life. Also great for the living room, an oriental fragrance, known for its rich, exotic, seductive scent, pays homage to herbs and spices or dry powdery notes. With a feeling of opulence and sometimes considered potent, oriental scents can be softened with amber or sweet notes. For a truly restful sleep we recommend lavender in a diffuser or mist.
5. Kitchen
Just like your countertops, you want the scent of your kitchen to be bright and clean. Fresh notes are perfect for this area as they come in array of herby green, zesty citrus and oceanic scents. For the kitchen we recommend citrus notes or herbs to reflect your cooking space.
6. Bathroom
Fresh notes of the ocean are ideal for the bathroom. The invigorating scent will be just what you need to get started in the morning and start your day. Imagine showering in the morning with an oceanic scent and being transported to the seaside.
7. Office
Fresh notes can be used in multiple areas of the home as mentioned already. What you may not know is that fresh notes also promote a sense of alertness. Try a crisp fresh note with a hint of spice so your office doesn’t smell like the bathroom.
I think we can all agree that a candle is more than just a pretty vessel to add to your décor. Or a mist is more than just something we use to cover up smell. It’s a representation of who we are and how we want our guests to perceive us when they enter our homes and how we want them to feel. It can also evoke special memories or even help you achieve a blissful slumber.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasonal alchemist there is no denying there is a fragrance for everyone. We hope that by reading this article we have informed you how you can emit fragrance into your home and where you might like to put them. Have fun exploring our options! Our team are more than welcome to help you further to find your perfect match.
