It’s true - many of us are guilty of ignoring how our home smells or simply placing gifted candles and diffusers on spare surfaces without giving it much thought.
However, home fragrance should be a key consideration when it comes to styling your home. That’s because scent plays a bigger role in how you feel than you might think. In fact, smells are processed by the part of the brain where emotions and memories are processed.
But with so many aromas and scented products to choose from, it can seem quite daunting. Rich Quelch, Global Head of Marketing, Lifestyle Packaging has come to our aid in putting together a room-by-room guide to giving your home a fragrance makeover…
Entrance
The hallway or entrance to your home is the place where first impressions are made. When choosing a scent for this area, it shouldn’t overwhelm your nose when stepping in the door.
Subtle wood-based fragrances lend themselves well to an entrance, scenting the area with naturally occurring notes which won’t be too overpowering when coming indoors. Look for ingredients such as cedar, oud, bergamot and fir to create an understated yet welcoming space.
Kitchen
One of the trickiest spots to keep smelling fresh is the kitchen. As the space where you’re cooking, eating and storing your waste, it can be difficult to keep bad odours at bay.
Opt for citrus-based scents like lemon, lime, grapefruit and tangerine which are bright and fresh, with the added benefit of neutralising unsavoury smells.
Avoid picking spicy or overly sweet scents which will clash with smells created by food and potentially put you off your meal.
If you have an open-plan kitchen which is shared with a living or dining room, a spray may be the best option to keep things smelling fresh without overwhelming the different spaces.
Bedroom
Whether you want a relaxing and calm atmosphere to help you switch off or one which ups the romance, there are plenty of scents to choose from for your bedroom.
If you find it difficult to get to sleep at night, there are many scents which are scientifically proven to treat insomnia and promote quality sleep. Lavender is the most well-known and researched of them all, reducing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure to help you relax and fall asleep. Vanilla can reduce arousal and create the perfect environment for catching some Zzzs. Sandlewood can help to ease sleep disturbances by increasing theta brain activity which signifies drowsiness.
For a more romantic feel, floral scented candles (think rose, jasmine or peonies) dotted around the room can help set the mood.
Bathroom
In a bathroom, smells can be difficult to control. Diffusers with essential oils are the best option, given they have the ability to purify the air and eradicate airborne bacteria. They’re also more powerful than other home fragrance products, meaning your bathroom will smell like an oasis 24-hours a day.
Create a spa-like experience using ginger, peppermint or eucalyptus to help you unwind, or try breezier scents which remind you of the seaside like sea salt, seaweed and driftwood.
If your diffuser is losing strength, simply turn the reeds upside down, revealing the scent-soaked ends.
Living room
Living rooms are typically where you do most of your socialising, as well as enjoy some well-deserved downtime, so you can experiment with different scents depending on the season and occasion.
If you prefer a clean and fresh feel, try scents featuring herbs like basil or sage, or fruits such green apple, grapefruit or pomegranate.
In the colder months, deeper and richer notes such as amber, ginger, blackberry, almond and cardamom can add warmth and atmosphere to your living space.
Hidden dangers
Though candles may look harmless, be careful when choosing yours as many cheap scented candles use paraffin wax which gives off the toxic carcinogens benzene when burned.
Instead, opt for scented candles using only natural wax like soy, rapeseed, plant and beeswax. They’ll also burn slower and therefore last longer.
If you have small children or pets, always keep candles and diffusers out of reach to avoid accidental burns and ingestion.