Andrew Curnow, founder of Nest Inspirations & Royal Doulton Fragrances, shares some scent-sational (sorry, I had to) tips on how to choose the right fragrances for your home, which scents work for which rooms, how to layer scents (if ever!) and more.
Take a whiff!
Quality over quantity.
There’s no definitive rule on this, but try to avoid toxic paraffin candles and cheap fragrances which can often result in headaches. You don’t need to spend a fortune, but any candle made in Australia or another reputable location is a good yard stick of quality to go by.
Fragrance is so subjective. Royal Doulton, like others, offer a variety of fragrances that suit different personalities and seasons. Citrus style fragrances are more popular in hot season when the flowers are out and windows are open, and the woody style fragrances are more popular in cooler months.
Layer scents, but don’t overdo it.
Work with as few scents per season as possible. Try to layer your fragrances in the house, so you have a seamless scent from the use of candles, diffusers, room sprays, and even the soap in the guest bathroom. Mix it up once the season changes or when they run out.
Experiment with different scents for different rooms of the house.
If you want a good night’s rest, choose a lavender or camomile blended scent for the bedroom. If you want some romance, try a floral fragrance – you can’t go past the traditional rose scent to shift the atmosphere. A modern version of this is our Peony fragrance, which is a great all-rounder candle.
A kitchen often needs a neutralising fragrance such as citrus, while the dining room doesn’t need to be overly fragranced. The stronger scents often include a fruit or flower or combination of both, and are better suited for places like the bathroom or laundry.
Place your candles and diffusers strategically for maximum effect.
Try infusing the front entrance by including a scented candle on the hall stand to give your guests an immediate welcoming scent to your home. Other main places to scent the home include the main living space and bathrooms. It’s often easier to leave a good quality reed diffuser out so the space is permanently scented. Be sure to turn the sticks as often as you want to boost the fragrance.
Candles, diffusers, room sprays, oil burners – oh my!
Scented candles give a lovely throw of fragrance to a room, whilst often adding ambience. They’ve been used for centuries, and will continue to be very popular for those reasons. Diffusers have their own positives though, as you can place them and forget about them while they continue to fill the room with a lovely consistent fragrance, though it’s important to find one that’s not too over powering. Room sprays are great for freshening up the house before people arrive or for the bathroom, and burning 100% pure essential oil in a quality oil burner can produce some very strong and invigorating scents.
Know how to take care of your candles and diffusers to ensure longevity.
To maximise the use of any candle, make sure it’s burned to the entire diameter on the first lighting. Candle wax has a memory, so if it’s not burned all the way to the edges it will only burn that far in future. Should wax build up on the side of the jar, the excess wax should be cut off.
Don’t burn a candle for more than 4 hours, and let it cool before relighting, and make sure the wick is trimmed to about 5mm to avoid it bending and falling into the wax and destroying the candle for future use.
Reed diffusers are very simple to look after, but be careful to not splash the oil on painted or varnished surfaces when turning the sticks or to spill the oil, and don’t leave a diffuser in direct sunlight.
Come on people let’s get cracking!! What scents work for you?
Post culled from Insideout.au