Why fragrance is the secret weapon of Interior Designers

Have you ever had a random scent instantly transport you back in time? The smell of pine trees reminding you of a favourite holiday, or the aftershave of your first love! We experience life, and therefore our homes, with all our available senses, but usually our sense of smell is last on the list of considerations.

So here are 4 elements of scent you can consider for your home:

1.      Why is fragrance important in interior design?

Smell is part of our limbic system which controls our behaviours, emotions and our memory. So if we want to have positive behaviours, emotions and memories in our homes, our sense of smell should not be forgotten when designing or styling.

·        Smell influences our taste

Up to 80% of flavours come from our sense of smell. So your kitchen should be extremely good at eliminating nasty odours in order to promote your sense of taste and smell.

-        Ensure your exhaust fan in the kitchen is the right size to eliminate cooking smells.

-        Ensure your fridge is the right size to get maximum length of life out of your perishables.

-        Allow for adequate rubbish bin placement.

·        Smell influences our wellbeing

Biophilic design is a theory that promotes the connection with nature in our homes, including scent. According to Biophilic design theory, we innately seek connections with nature and other forms of life and are soothed by elements in our homes that connect us with the natural world. So, what smells of nature can you bring in? Can you pick some flowers from your garden or find some gum leaves and pop them all into a vase?

·        Smell influences our temperature

According to an experiment designed to see if fragrances could influence global warming, it was discovered that scents like black pepper, camphor and red chilli make us feel warmer. While menthol, eucalyptol, thyme and cinnamon makes us feel cooler!

2.      Which scent is good for my home?

·        Fragrances that trigger positive memories: Fragrance plays a strong role in our memory, so if you fill your home with the scents that trigger positive memories and emotions for you, all other interior design elements are enhanced. Try Candles with Kindness’ scent quiz to see what suits you!

·        Smells in nature: If you’re not sure, it’s always safe to think of Biophilic design principles and open windows to allow the scents of nature to gently waft in. Or pick flowers or herbs from your garden.

3.      What fragrances are good for open home inspections?

Rather than the often-used muffins, cookies or coffee, research into commercially inspiring odours suggests people are distracted by a mixture of smells as they subconsciously spend too much of their energy trying to identify the scent.

·        Use one simple scent instead. Linking with biophilic principles this could be

-        Orange

-        Lemon

-        Basil and other fresh herbs

-        Brewed tea

-        Pine

-        Cinnamon

·        Ensure the scent connects with the space 

Find a scent that enhances the design of the home. For example, if you have a lot of wooden beams, a pine or cedar scented home décor product might enhance the aesthetic.

4.      What else can I use to create a great scent in my home?

·        Candles: Check out the range from Candles with Kindness to find a scent that triggers happy emotions for you.

·        Diffusers: Diffuses use fragrance oils rather than a candle wick to envelop your home in the scent of your choice. Try a cool hanging diffuser or a crystal diffuser for something a little different!

If you need more ideas on how to create joy and wellbeing in your home, contact Cantwell Interiors for suggestions.