The best fragrances for a perfectly balanced home

Smell is the only one of our senses to bypass the thalamus and connect directly to the forebrain which is why certain odours can trigger such vivid memories or emotions. It's perhaps unsurprising, then, that the 2019 Global Wellness Trends Report highlighted the crucial role of scent on our physical and emotional wellbeing. 

When it comes to perfume, we can devote hours to scouring beauty departments and spend a lifetime trying to find ‘the one’, so why aren’t we as exacting with fragrancing our homes, especially now that we’re spending more time in them than ever before? With many of us WFH, the boundaries between our living and working spaces have become increasingly blurred. It’s all too tempting to seek solace in cyberspace rather than really savouring our physical surroundings but with a little know-how, it’s possible to bridge the gap harmoniously.  

All too often we’ll choose a candle or diffuser based on looks (and let’s face it there are a whole plethora of beautiful bougies out there) or the fact that we vaguely like the smell. We rarely stop to consider why a particular scent may work better in a specific spot.

But just as we might furnish each room of our home in a different style, finding a unique scent to match the function of each space makes sense, adding a sensory dimension to complement the decor. How to choose which scents go where? As with tastes in furniture, fragrance choice is very personal but as a general rule, cosseting scents like amber and vanilla work to create a cosy atmosphere while scents based on herbs, spices and fruits work well in the kitchen. And you can't go wrong with the uplifting aroma of citrus in any room.

Fragrance has a unique ability to transport us to another plane whether by capturing the essence of a far-flung place or shifting our emotional perception. When allocating scents for different parts of your living space, you first need to decide how you would like to feel in each. Do you yearn for escapism from the stresses of work? Do you need some mental clarity for a special project? Or do you want to feel grounded and cosseted? Whatever your olfactive yearnings, there's a scent for you.

Scents that are naturally uplifting include lime, lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit. Citrus scents help to restore energy, lifting the mood by boosting your body’s production of serotonin, our happy hormone. They also reduce levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine, so they perk you up but keep you feeling calm. Vanilla is also a psychogenic aphrodisiac which enhances positive sensations while sandalwood has been proven to increase feelings of wellbeing.

‘The scent of freshly cut pine trees gives us more than a warming effect. When grasses and green leaves are cut, at least five chemicals with stress-relieving properties are released,’ says Suzy Reading, a chartered psychologist specialising in wellbeing. ‘In addition to mental relaxation and emotional release, pine is also an anti-viral agent providing gentle relief for colds and congested sinuses.’ Other scents known for their naturally soothing properties include lavender, jasmine, vanilla and rosewood.

Lavender, chamomile, bergamot, jasmine, rose and sandalwood all have soothing, calming qualities that help encourage sleep and relaxation. Incorporate these into your bedtime routine – via an essential oil, scented candle or pillow mist – and you'll be well on your way to a blissful night’s sleep.