A Guide to Choosing Scent for Your Home, Room by Room
I often get asked how I choose scents for my home, and whether to use one scent throughout or different scents in each room.
The way I like to think about it is this: different areas of your home hold different energy. Where you welcome people in feels different from where you unwind at night. Scent can quietly shape all of it.
Instead of choosing one fragrance for my entire home, I approach scent the way you might approach lighting, music, or even furniture: based on mood, atmosphere, and the feeling I want to create.
Entryway: First Impression
The entryway is the first feeling people get when they walk into my home. I think about it the same way I would getting dressed or setting a table—it sets the tone. I want it to feel inviting and memorable.
I’ll usually reach for something that feels like me, and something I want people to associate with walking through the door.
- Product: Room & linen spray
- What scent I use: Eventide
- How I use it: I’ll mist it right before guests arrive, and I’ll often wear it as a perfume too, so it carries through the whole experience
Powder Room: Small but Considered
Smaller spaces don’t need less thought, they just need a different approach. In the powder room, I like to keep things simple and a bit more contained.
It’s also where I’ll let things feel more seasonal. It’s an easy place to shift the mood without changing everything else in the house.
- Product: Mini candles
- What scent I use: Something seasonal like Wild Meadow for spring
- Why it works: The size fits the space, and it’s a low-lift way to keep things feeling fresh and current
Living Room: Letting the Mood Shift
The living room changes the most depending on the time of day or who I’m with. Some nights it’s quiet and I want something more grounding. Other times I’m hosting or having people over and I want something that feels a little warmer or more layered.
I don’t stick to one scent here - I like having a few I can rotate between depending on the moment.
- Product: Signature Candles
- What scents I reach for: Voyage, Cliffwalk, Eventide
- How I think about it: I choose based on the mood I want to create, not just the scent itself
Kitchen: Fresh and Functional
The kitchen is always in use, so I think about scent a little differently here. I want something that feels clean and fresh, but not overpowering, especially since there are already so many natural smells happening throughout the day.
- Product: Signature Candles
- What scent I’m using right now: Aeris
- Why: I’m drawn to something with a bit of brightness here; the citrus keeps it feeling fresh without competing with everything else going on in the space.
Quiet Moments: Just Me or a Close Friend
Not every scent in your home needs to be for everyone else. Some of them are just for you: for early mornings before the house wakes up, winding down at night, or even just sitting with a friend.
I’m usually drawn to something softer during these moments, but still a little unexpected. Something calming, but interesting enough to keep coming back to.
- Product: Incense Cones
- What scent I’m reaching for right now: Dewpoint
- Why: The chamomile is calming, but the subtle smokiness makes it feel focused and unique.
I hope this helps guide how you think about scent in your home. But there’s no one “right” way to do this. That’s what makes scent so interesting and personal.
Some people stick to one signature scent. Others layer and shift throughout the day.
The point isn’t perfection, it’s intention. Pay attention to how you want a space to feel, and let scent be part of that.