Self-isolating at home has led many to take up new hobbies, including home improvement. Those who have taken to working from home to keep safe from the coronavirus pandemic have carved out nooks in their homes where they can be productive and concentrate on work. Now that we’re all spending more time at home, it’s no surprise that we want to make our homes a better place to live in, whether it’s for work or play. Level up your space and learn how to choose scents for your home. After all, a home scent is a great way to not only show off your personality and style, it also brings comfort to those who observe such scents. To learn how to choose scents for your home, we’ve gathered some tips from the experts.
In today’s story, we’re diving deep into the two most common types of scents for your home: the scented candle and the reed diffuser. Did you know that there are different uses for each? In fact, home fragrance expert Rayda Vega explained to Real Simple that you actually don’t have to choose between candles or diffusers as you can use them for different occasions. For example, diffusers serve to provide continuous scents throughout the home, while candles are used for more “intimate events” such as a dinner or a bath, as Vega explained, “They’re not only about the scent. The light they give off sets a mood, too.”
Learn How to Choose Scents for Your Home
When choosing scents for your home, consider first where you are placing the scent. It can be a living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, study, playroom, etc. Real Simple has some great advice on how to choose scents for your home. According to the experts, it’s best to think about scents in terms of the room they will diffuse in. For example, living rooms tend to be large spaces, so go for bold, strong scents that are floral with a touch of amber. For bedrooms, go for relaxing lavender scents that don’t overpower or bother you as you rest or sleep. For kitchens, avoid florals at all costs because they will interfere with the food. If you really need to put a scent in your kitchen, go for fruity ones such as tomato or citrus, or herbs like basil or mint. Bathrooms are some of the most commonly scented rooms in the house. For this one, you can get creative and choose any scent that you want. After all, bathrooms are mostly scented to mask other smells and encourage feelings of cleanliness. As for your home office, this is a space where you have to be energized and focused, so go for citrus, amber, and tobacco. Check out these highly recommended picks for home scents, from best-selling favorites to up and coming scents to check out.
How to Choose Scents for Your Home: Tap Into Your Personality
1. DIPTYQUE Roses Candle
For those who enjoy the blooms of Spring, get yourself a Diptyque Roses Candle, a candle that delicately indulges you and your home with the floral scent of roses. Upon opening, experience a tender scent just like freshly picked bouquet. Paying homage to the queen of flowers, the rose, this candle is made in France from the highest quality materials to ensure a beautiful burn every time. This candle has an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars at Nordstrom.
Promising review: “I absolutely love Diptyque candles and fragrances and this Roses candle is up there with the best. True to life powdery rose scent, it really is like having fresh cut roses in the room, perfect for burning in the summer months. The fragrance really filled the room.” Kat S. from Kent
2. LE LABO Santal 26 Classic Candle
Hand poured in Mississippi, the Le Labo Santal 26 Classic Candle is highly dosed with perfume and fills your home with comforting notes of amber, coco, vanilla, cedar, spices, musk and sandalwood. This 8.6 oz. candle burns for up to 60 hours. It is housed in a thick, heavy glass vessel and is made of 100% soy wax with a pure, cotton wick for a clean burn every time. This candle is GMO-free, cruelty-free, and vegan. Made in the U.S. It has an overall customer rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars at Nordstrom.
Promising review: “Candle burns very well with no black smoke trail & is lasting. The scent is beautiful, sexy, sophisticated, and cozy at the same time. The fragrance will definitely fill your house. Le Labo candles are pricey, but totally worth it & of quality. You won’t be disappointed! Plus all of their jars are hand-blown glass so you can keep afterwards.” PH12
3. VOLUSPA Japonica French Cade Lavender Large Embossed Glass Jar Candle
If you’re wondering how to choose scents for your home, then consider the things you like or are interested in and use it as a theme. The Voluspa Japonica candle is a one-of-a-kind home scent that is housed in a vessel featuring gorgeous floral designs that take inspiration from the beauty of Japanese art. The French Cade Lavender variant of the Voluspa Japonica features notes of French cade wood with verbena and Bulgarian lavender. Each Voluspa candle is hand-poured in the U.S. from sustainable, ecologically sound, pesticide-free manufacturing, so you’re guaranteed to get top notch quality every time. The 16 oz. candle has a burn time of up to 100 hours and features a proprietary coconut wax blend and a 100% cotton wick. This candle is paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, and is not tested on animals. It has an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars at Nordstrom.
Promising review: “My favorite candle ever. Has a strong but very soothing smell. Makes everything smell great and even helps me sleep!” Kearly0327
4. NEST NEW YORK NEST Fragrances Moroccan Amber Scented Candle
Combining color, texture, and fragrance to enhance your everyday living, NEST Fragrances offers candles in vases that are specifically designed to complement the beauty of your home. It features a classic shape that goes with any home decor. Meanwhile, the Moroccan Amber Scented Candle offers an exotic and spicy scent made up of notes from Moroccan amber, sweet patchouli, heliotrope and bergamot, topped off with some relaxing eucalyptus. All NEST candles are made with a premium, soft, highly refined, cosmetic-grade wax and comes with a burn time of about 60 hours. Made in the U.S. It has an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars at Nordstrom.
Promising review: “I absolutely love Nest fragranced candles. The scents are beautiful, they run in the medium price range for nice candles, and they make wonderful gifts in their beautiful boxes. The Moroccan Amber brings an exotic faraway smell to your home, great in a bedroom or living area.” Stephanie Johnson
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5. BAOBAB COLLECTION Stones Lazuli Candle
Home scents are often an extension of your personality and style. And for those who splurge a little more on making their homes a perfect, comforting place to live in, you might consider treating yourself to a Baobab Collection Stones Lazuli Candle. This unique, large-sized candle comes in four sizes, with weights ranging from 3 lb to 22 lb. This candle features paraffin wax hand poured in European workshops and a glass vessel hand blown in Poland to create a piece of art that you can totally show off to your family and friends when they’re over. The luxurious Lazuli Candle features a woody and aromatic scent, featuring notes of cardamom, sea salt and musk. This and other scents in the Baobab Collection were developed in Grasse, France and features an Egyptian-cotton wick for a clean and fragrant burn. The Lazuli Candle has an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars at Nordstrom.
Promising review: “The candle is a beautiful addition to my home. The glass is rich with color, and the candle itself smells amazing, perfect way to head into the fall season. You won’t regret this purchase.” Tditchen
Diffusers to Envelope Your Home with Your Favorite Signature Scents
1. JO MALONE LONDON™ Lime Basil & Mandarin Scent Surround™ Diffuser
Beautiful homes deserve beautiful scents and with Jo Malone London, that’s exactly what you get. The Lime Basil & Mandarin Scent Surround™ Diffuser features the enveloping scent of lime basil and mandarin in a sleek, understated diffuser that goes well with any home decor. Indulge in peppery basil and aromatic white thyme topped off with the scent of limes for a home that’s truly a space where you can be unapologetically you. The 5.6 oz. bottle and diffuser comes presented in a signature box tied with a ribbon, reflective of Joe Malone’s passion for the elegant art of gift giving. We’ll understand if you don’t want to give this away, though. After all, it can be your gift to yourself! This diffuser has an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars at Nordstrom.
Promising review: “A beautiful scent can make your world more beautiful. This Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin Scent Diffuser is just the ticket. Crisp clean subtle scent; never overpowering. Great as a luxurious gift for someone needing a spot of beauty in their world.” TerrificTeresa
2. P.F. CANDLE CO. Reed Diffuser
Charmingly rustic, the P.F. Candle Co. Reed Diffuser comes in an apothecary-inspired amber glass bottle with a signature label and rattan reeds. It features a scent that takes you back to weekends in the mountains with the radiant sun gleaming through a canopy of majestic trees. The Amber and Moss variant features top notes of moss and lavender, middle notes of sage, lavandin, and orange, and bottom notes of amber and musk. Also comes in three other variants, namely Black Fig, Golden Coast, and Teakwood and Tobacco. This reed diffuser is made in the U.S. Features a 4.25-inch bottle and 10-inch reed. This product has an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars at Nordstrom.
Promising review: “I tried both the teakwood and the sandalwood scents. The tobacco/teak blend is less sweet and ended up being our favorite. A great scent for a bathroom we’re using much frequently now that we never leave the house.” Neutron
3. NOODLE & BOO Reed Diffuser
This is the scent for staying home on the weekends. Socially distance yourself from the world and indulge in this Noodle & Boo Reed Diffuser that offers a lovely, light and fresh scent throughout your space. It features the brand’s signature Crème Douce fragrance, which delicately combines the fresh blend of ripe peaches and water blossoms, with an energizing mix of berries and clover honey enveloped in soft notes of rich warm milk and vanilla beans. Also great for babies and children’s rooms. Comes in a 3.4 oz bottle. Made in the U.S. This reed diffuser has an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars at Nordstrom.
Promising review: “I love this reed diffuser because it lets off this light, Noodle & Boo scent in my baby’s nursery. It helps to mask dirty diaper changes and keeps his nursery smelling consistently good! It adds another reason to love walking in there when greeted by a yummy baby scent. I also sometimes use the Noodle & Boo room spray if there is a massive blow out!” JRay18
4. APOTHEKE Reed Diffuser
Indulge in the sultry fragrance of the Apotheke Reed Diffuser in White Vetiver, which features cashmere, eucalyptus and lilac intertwined with earthy vetiver, sandalwood, amber and cedarwood. These U.S.-made reed diffusers from Apotheke come in 6.7 oz. and are great for leveling up your living space’s ambience. It also comes in four other variants, including Hinoki Lavender, which features rich, smoky notes of Hinoki cypress and fresh lavender molded into lotus flower and sandalwood for an earthy, soothing fragrance. Enjoy Bamboo, which features sweet white flowers, green moss, and thyme combined with fresh bamboo leaves for a light yet crisp scent. Canvas offers a crisp linen, white musk, and sweet lily of the valley scent that is clean and refreshing. Lastly, Sea Salt Grapefruit showcases sea salt, black pepper and ripe grapefruit with dew drop accords and tarragon that call to mind summer by the ocean. Shop at Nordstrom.
5. ANTICA FARMACISTA Daphne Flower Home Ambiance Perfume
Presented in a gorgeous apothecary-inspired bottle, the Antica Farmacista Daphne Flower Home Ambiance Perfume showcases an alluring bright floral fragrance of the daphne odora flower, found in the Pacific Northwest. Building on notes of effervescent daphne, orange blossom and honeysuckle, this floral scent also features sweet meyer lemon and dewy green notes, ending with white baltic amber and clean white mustk accord that all together evoke feelings and memories of springtime. The fragrance is diffused into your space with white birch reeds. This perfume is made in the U.S. It has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars at Nordstrom.
Promising review: “This diffuser captures the daphne fragrance perfectly. I only get to smell Daphne outside for a month, but I can smell it in my house all year. It is subtle but wonderful. My husband rarely comments on candles/diffusers, but it has even impressed him enough to comment multiple times.” Amy J. Crocker
If you enjoyed this story on how to choose scents for your home, make sure to drop by some of our home improvement stories in the links below. The Teelie Blog is your prime source for all things home and lifestyle. Make sure to catch our stories by bookmarking this page.
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