There always seems to be an intangible essence to the world's most stylish houses: a fourth dimension that makes everything seem elevated. Is it the proportions? The colours chosen? The amount of natural light, or cosy lamps? The curation of charming objets and creation of clever tableaux?
‘No', we say! It is, of course, the scent! The elusive fragrance that weaves through each room, making you want to settle down and stay for hours. In an effort to capture that aroma, we've asked a collection of very stylish people as well as House & Garden editors to let us in on what their houses smell like, whether it be a scented candle, incense burner, reed or essential oil diffuser.
“I have recently launched my second collaboration with Ginori 1735: it's a collection of home fragrances and accessories called Profumi Luchino. I'm finding it hard to choose a favourite from the collection but right now it's Fox Thicket Folly. The inspiration for this fragrance came from an imagined story: I was dreaming about a Gothic folly lost deep in a wood. It is also based on the Cotswolds, where I live - in fact I made it really for my own cottage. I was picturing lighting it and setting it on my mantelpiece - a little beacon against winter's cold and dark. It's a very autumnal scent, and includes woodsmoke, cedar, patchouli and tobacco. Think: a crackling fire, old books, rotting leaves... For all of the five fragrances we've launched, I came up with illustrations for the candle's ceramic vessel and packaging. This one features a meandering oak leaf motif in shades of mossy green and orange.”
See Luke Edward Hall's Cotswold cottage here.
“My favourite candle this year is somewhat biased as it's one I designed with Eym Naturals. The 'Rest' scented one with sweet orange and chamomile is my go-to for lighting at the end of a busy day when it's time to relax. I love the stripy Murano glass it's encased in, plus it happens to pair perfectly with some of my other favourite at-home scents at this time of year; log fires and hot ginger and cinnamon tea."
See Lucy Williams's house here
“I actually try to scent our home differently upstairs and downstairs. Upstairs is for more indulgent and romantic scents whereas downstairs I prefer something more groaning and fresh.Since we started working on our own candles (which we just launched), our home has smelt of nothing but our Studio 50 Candle. It has notes of fig leaf, cedarwood, myrrh and vetiver. It’s comforting and calm.”
"It’s hard to pick just one, but at the moment I have to say that I’m obsessed with Tomato Leaves by Loewe. It reminds me of my home in Spain, waking up in the morning, opening the window and getting a whiff of my mother chopping tomatoes outside on the patio for lunch. Tomatoes are a key ingredient in almost every meal - especially during the summer when they're in full harvest - and this candle captures it perfectly.
I find it very original–it’s not necessarily what you expect to smell in a candle. The packaging is beautiful and it works so well because the candle looks like a red terracotta planter and you can't help but imagine a tomato plant growing from it. I keep it in my studio and whenever I need a pick me up I light it and feel instantly energised. I have to say, it's perfect for those really cold and grey days when I need to be transported to those long those summer days in Spain the most."
See Sandra Barrio von Hurter's house here.
"Without doubt, the very best scents for the house come from Santa Maria Novella. I have long been such a devotee that my family think of it as a minor addiction; I cannot walk past the tiny cupboard of a shop in Piccadilly or on Walton Street without stopping. Woe betide Father Christmas if he doesn’t include several beautifully be-ribboned packages in my Christmas stocking.
The scents are complex and not immediately identifiable - I have several bags of the damp and oily pot pourri in a shallow bowl on my hall table. It infuses the house with a slightly astringent, herbal perfume reminiscent of an autumnal walk in Tuscan woodland. The scented terracotta pomegranate I keep in the linen cupboard and they also have something called Carta d’Armenia which are nifty little strips of infused paper which burn without a flame for keeping in the loo. I particularly love to have a group of the waxy pillar candles of varying heights on the mantle shelf where they are allowed to drip and pool in a rather extravagant and ecclesiastical manner."
See Joanna Plant's house here.
“My favourite candle is the Cyre candle ‘Eros’. I received one many moons ago, and the smell and look made me happier than any candle has managed to make me–so much so that I saved it until we moved it into our new house to light it. The smell is smokey but floral, it manages to feel like an elevated smell that is part of your home rather than an artificial intruder.”
Visit TAT London here.
“A current favourite candle is Herbarium by Moro Dabron. The scent (rosemary, cedarwood, bay, black tea, frankincense) reminds me of being in a country house hotel. The kind that retains the authentic smell of the grand old house that it once was, but more luxurious now–full of fresh cuttings from the garden and lovely spa products. It smells like somewhere I’d much rather be.”
See Eleanor Cording-Booth's latest columns here.
"I just adore the woody and earthy tones of Diptyque's Sapin Pine Tree Candle. It’s a familiar smell but the underlying hint of mimosa makes it unique. It’s a cosy and comforting smell that I would be amazed if you didn’t want to fill your house with."
See Sarah Corbett-Winder's house here.
"Czech and Speake No.88 incense sticks remind me of Christmas and my childhood. My parents always had one of these burning in the hall when we had lunch parties for family and friends. For me it’s pure nostalgia, but it’s a distinctive smell and does pack a punch. It’s a smoky mix of bergamot, geranium and earthy sandalwood. It transports me instantly to somewhere warm, and tropical–yet another reason why I love it."
See Lonika Chande's house here.
“Diptyque's 'Tubereuse' is my long-standing favourite candle, a delicate, elusive floral scent that is pleasingly difficult to place. Floral fragrances can often be a little too cloying for me, but this is subtle and elegant, with a clean, herbal element to it that knocks back the sweetness. By rights this should be a warm weather scent, as the tuberose flower grows in hot climates, but I find it perfectly versatile for all year round.”
