How To Select Scents For Your Home
Scent has the ability to affect our mood and emotions so choosing the right room scent can transform any space and create an atmosphere where you feel comfortable in your own home.
06/01/2024
Did you know that scent can influence our emotions and mood and it can even have an impact on our health and well-being by reducing stress? Scent can also be used to create a welcoming and comforting environment in our home and that is why you should consider these factors when selecting fragrances for rooms in the home. Do you prefer energising spicy scents or cool scents that make you feel refreshed, or do you like scents that are soothing and serene?
How to choose the perfect scent for a home
Before we can look at the perfect scent for our home, we have to look at the various scented products available and how each has its uses and benefits. Scented products can include room sprays, candles and reed diffusers as well as essential oils.
Using a Room Spray
A room spray is a quick and easy way to add scents to a space but they are not long-lasting and not always value for money considering the high cost of most of the more quality room sprays on the market, and particularly if you are not looking for an air freshener like the ones used in the bathroom.
Most home decor stores stock room sprays in assorted popular floral or fresh fragrances and, which will quickly add a burst of fragrance to a room. When using a room spray be sure to keep them away from your face and leave the room for a few minutes while the spray settles. Avoid spraying onto furniture as the spray may cause damage.
Change the mood with candles
Used for centuries, candles are a popular choice for adding scents to a home and we know how they can also be used to create ambiance. Available in a variety of shapes and sizes and popular scents, candles are a versatile option for adding fragrance to a room. And with load shedding, candles will illuminate a room when the power goes out!
To get the most out of scented candles place them centrally in a room where they are not at risk of being knocked over or brushed up against and never leave candles unattended.
Fragrance the home with a reed diffuser
While a more expensive option upfront, a reed diffuser can add scent to a room for months on end. Reed diffusers can be purchased in home decor stores and larger pharmacies and there are quite a few online suppliers that offer high-end fragrance combinations that are divine.
An eco-friendlier option to room sprays and a longer-lasting solution than candles - and sometimes even less expensive, the reed diffuser brings unique fragrances into a home, fragrances that you won't find in room sprays or candles. I know from experience that brands such as Millefiori combine essential oils into fragrances that enhance mood and atmosphere and add scent to a room for up to three months. You can pop onto the millefiori.co.za website for more information if you are interested or visit your local home decor store or select pharmacy for other reed diffuser options.
A subtle fragrance with essential oils
Essential oils have been used for centuries for their effect on body, mind and soul. They have the ability to alter our mood with their fragrance and mend our bodies with their healing power, so why not use essential oils to fragrance our homes?
Every year, I take a walk past a house with a large tree that overhangs the surrounding wall of the property and this is where I find pine cones that I use in various rooms in the home. With just a few drops of essential oil every so often, the pine cones flood my home with natural fragrances, and you can achieve the same effect with potpourri if you cannot find pine cones.
Of the three above ways to bring fragrances into the home, this is the most cost-effective as you can purchase a selection of essential oils at larger pharmacies or home decor stores from around R30 per bottle. And when you only need a drop or two now and again, your home will be fragranced with your choice of essential oil scents.
Whatever your preferred fragrance, the above choices provide you with all types of ways to bring scents into a home and you have the freedom to select the right fragrance to set the mood or atmosphere.