How to Scent Your Home for the Holidays: 7 Experts Share Their Favorite Tricks Inline
Photo: Courtesy of l-objet.com1/8Yann Vasnier, perfumer
“Lavender always works in closets and fragrant roses always win. You could light a candle—my favorites are Voyage d’Or by L’Objet or Mérida by Arquiste for Cire Trudon. For Christmas, I like to burn incense and myrrh, or oud wood. Fires will smell best when made of a blend of juniper, firs, and oaks. The smell of baking bread and pastries or cooking fruits and vegetables is also good—just no garlic, fish, kale, cabbages, or onions!”
L’Objet Voyage d’Or 10th Anniversary Candle, $195; l-objet.com
Photo: Courtesy of santamarianovellausa.com2/8Michelle R. Smith, founder of Studio MRS
“The only artificial scent I like is Santa Maria Novella’s Pot Pourri. The beauty is in how subtle it is. They also make a cologne in the same Pot Pourri scent. It’s hard to imagine wearing it on my skin, but it’s perfect to spritz in the air.”
Santa Maria Novella Pot Pourri Cologne, $125; santamarianovellausa.com
Photo: Courtesy of shopterrain.com3/8Kate Dougherty, interior and set designer
“When it comes to scents, a big ‘don’t’ in my eyes is to have too many of them in your home—less is more. Fresh-cut flowers and herbs pair nicely. Just try to keep everything in the earthy-scented family and you’re golden. Geraniums work well with cedar and evergreens. Rosemary also smells good.”
Rosemary Globe topiary, $64; shopterrain.com
Photo: Courtesy of grandstbakery.com4/8Ariel Ashe, cofounder of Ashe + Leandro
“My favorite scent is Incense of the West, made from piñon incense. It smells like a cozy fire—I actually have a nonworking fireplace and I use these inside of it. For candles, I love the one by Hôtel Costes in a scent called Brown because it is also very woodsy. Neither of these products overwhelm the room.”
Incense of the West, $15; grandstbakery.com
Photo: Courtesy of thelaundress.com5/8Patricia Choux, perfumer
“The natural smell of flowers is the best for me—especially peonies and lilies, which have such a distinctive fragrance with lots for personality. For the kitchen, a nice clementine or orange peel during the winter is a great way to scent the counter. And to cover the scent of cooking, I may burn a candle that I’ve worked on, like Aedes de Venustas’ Mel Mellis—anything that is not too strong. A soft fragrance is important in the bedroom, too, so it doesn t interfere with your sleep. I put a little bag of lavender under the pillow during the daytime so that, by evening, it has a nice relaxing smell. I also place one in the closet to give my clothes a nice fresh scent.”
The Laundress Lavender Pouch, $10; thelaundress.com
