The Best Home Scents: A Room-by-Room Guide

Our sense of smell is powerful and can unlock memories, evoke certain moods, and set the overall tone for the day. Candles, wax melts, incense, and essential oils are more popular than ever, and you can find them in just about any scent imaginable.  As a result, scent has become a surprisingly chic (albeit intangible) element of interior design.

How can you decide which scents are right for your home? We’re here to help you utilize the principles of aromatherapy to create the right ambiance from room to room. Read on for our guide to the best home scents to incorporate into your interior design.

First Impressions: Best Entryway Scents

Whether you’re coming home from a long day of work, or a guest is stepping through your doorway for the first time, that experience should feel like a breath of fresh air.

We suggest scents that are light and welcoming while creating a sense of peace. Citrus scents, like grapefruit or lemon, offer the perfect blend of freshness and invigoration for your entryway.

Creating Connections: Best Living Room Scents

Your living room is one of the primary gathering spaces for family and friends, and the right aroma can help foster connections and build lasting memories. This is a room where you can really play with scents, changing them from season to season.

As we move through the summer months, consider earthy scents like sandalwood, woodsmoke, and sage, which can evoke feelings of playfulness and joy. In the fall, transition to cozy, warming smells like cinnamon bark, cardamom, and anise. Your living room is a great place to break out those novelty candles, as well, but use them sparingly if they’re particularly strong or sweet.

The Heart of Your Home: Best Kitchen Scents

If you’re an avid cook, your kitchen is already the site of all sorts of delicious smells. When you’re picking a scent for your kitchen, it’s best to select an aroma that feels clean and fresh but that won’t overpower the rich aromas of a fresh-cooked meal.

Once again, lean toward light citrus smells, like lemon or mandarin orange. Citrus oils will cut through any lingering odors from the trash or garbage disposal without clashing with the more appealing gourmand aromas coming from your oven or stovetop. 

Rest and Relaxation: Best Bedroom Scents

If you spend your nights tossing and turning or start your mornings feeling stressed and overwhelmed, it’s time to harness the power of aromatherapy in your bedroom. One thing sleep experts and interior designers agree on: your bedroom should be a place that encourages rest and relaxation and prepares you to start every day on the right foot.

Diffuse relaxing floral or herbaceous scents like jasmine, lavender, bergamot, mint, eucalyptus, or chamomile if you’re looking to get a better night’s sleep. The bedroom is also a great place for calming and sensual scents like sandalwood or amber. Play around with different options until you find the perfect blend that makes your bedroom feel like your own personal sanctuary.

Productivity Central: Best Home Office Scents

More and more people are working full-time or part-time from a home office, which can sometimes blur the line between your work life and your home life. We recommend using a unique scent in your home office that you won’t find in any other room. This change in scent can send subconscious signals to your brain that it’s time to get working—and, when you leave your office, that it’s time to play.

Your home office offers an opportunity to fully embrace the principles of aroma therapy. For example, if the workday creates tension and stress, consider a scent like lemongrass to calm the nerves. If you need an extra push to feel alert and focused, give peppermint a try. 

Your Personal Spa: Best Bathroom Scents

Your bathroom is a site of utilitarian purpose, but it can also be a space for self-care. One of the best ways to take your daily hygiene routine and turn it into a time of relaxation and rejuvenation is to give your bathroom a spa makeover. The good news is that you don’t need to invest in a costly remodel to make that happen.

With the right scents, you can bring out your inner Zen while preparing for the long day ahead. Tea tree oil and peppermint are both great for promoting a clear and focused mind. If you prefer the zing of citrus over the cooling touch of mint, try lemon, orange, or grapefruit to achieve similar effects.

The Takeaway

Interior design isn’t just about the visual. Scent plays a large role in how a space makes us feel, and each room deserves its own mood-shifting aroma.

Let us know in the comments which of the best home scents you’re using and how they’re contributing to the overall ambiance of each room in your home!