Sight, taste, touch, sound, smell — all five of our senses work together to give us a picture of our surroundings. But our sense of smell works more acutely on our brain than we may realize.
“This is the only sense that is directly connected to the limbic system, which is the oldest part of the brain. So it means that it's not filtered by the neocortex, or by the mind,” scent designer Maurice Joosten explains. “Basically feeling a scent is feeling on that level. Whatever you experience has incredible impact on your well-being, your emotions.”
Joosten is the creative director of the Berlin studio of At-Aroma, a Tokyo-based fragrance design company. At-Aroma functions much the way an interior design firm might; they receive a brief from clients on how they want their space to feel and function. Only instead of choosing paint colors or furniture, At-Aroma designs a fragrance for a space in what Joosten describes as “scent architecture.”
Few would take such an elaborate approach to scenting their own homes. But as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic means many around the world are now spending 24 hours confined to their house, the sensory experience of our homes are more present than ever — from the sights to the sounds and, of course, the smells.
Influences Our Well-Being
How Home Fragrance
Why the scent of your space is as important as its look.
The use of fragrance, specifically essential oils, can alter our well-being in the same way access to natural light or visually-pleasing surroundings might. “Essential oils have a unique property that directly works on the physical body and on the mind,” Joosten says. “And that is what Aromatherapy is based on as well.”
“Certain elements in essential oils directly influence the cells,” he adds. “Like for example, linalool calms you down. Certain components can activate you to concentrate.”
A new struggle for those who are self-isolating is using their homes for multiple purposes. They must now be a place to work, exercise, socialize and relax all at once. Switching from invigorating citrus or peppermint-based scents in the morning and during work hours, to a calming scent like lavender in the evening can provide differentiation in a space.
At-Aroma uses these elements of essential oils to develop its fragrances, in particular its Supplement Air series. Blends like For Wake Up (with peppermint and lemon) and For Meditation (with cypress and eucalyptus) are intended to aid the mind and body in particular activities. “Peppermint has this uplifting effect. Whether you like it or not, it's gonna activate, make you kind of wake up,” he says.
“It's universal, but at the same time, of course, scent is also personal."
"The total impression of the scent is really the sense of new beginnings. The same as what you experience when everything starts to blossom."
For working, especially now those who are working from home and need a boost of concentration, Joosten advises a softer herbal or citrus scent. “During work, they're less dominant, but over a longer period of time when you work for several hours, they can really kind of sustain you.” Floral scents are better for more leisure time, he advises, while woody scents can provide a feeling of groundedness.
There are other health benefits of certain oils that go beyond relaxation and sleep. Certain essential oils like eucalyptus and tea tree are also valued for their antiviral properties. However, while some manufacturers have noted growing demand for essential oils amidst the coronavirus pandemic, industry experts warn that it’s impossible to make any claims about essential oils’ efficacy against COVID-19 due to the virus’ novelty.
But fragrance is as much about evoking a particular mood as it is about health benefits. In countries like Japan, the importance of scent in contributing to the overall design of a space relates to the tradition of kodo, the art of appreciating incense, Joosten says. In Germany, meanwhile, he notes that the function of a scent is more valued than its beauty.
In more recent years however, more western companies in general have also begun to recognize the power of scent. Fashion companies like Calvin Klein and H&M and hotels like the Ritz-Carlton have learned to capitalize on how a particular scent can help customers form an emotional attachment to a brand. Those brands and others might partner with olfactory branding companies like 12.29, or collaborate with perfumers to develop a signature scent, such as Le Labo’s Cade 26 for the Gramercy Park Hotel.
That same idea has inspired the proliferation of scents meant to evoke particular places. Take Lola James Harper, whose candles and room sprays are inspired by places both real and imagined — the brand’s 213 Rue Saint-Honoré is a candle and room spray version of the iconic fig scent found at colette, providing a lasting connection for fans of the now defunct concept store. Brooklyn’s D.S. & Durga takes a similar approach with some of its candles as well, such as the Breakfast Leipzig scent inspired by the city’s famed Café Zimmermann. And Maison Margiela has based its line of Replica candles and perfumes on everything from barber shops to music festivals.
But introducing fragrance into your home is less an exercise in branding or more a matter of setting a mood to suit your needs. Joosten advises to first start small. “The idea would be that there is a reaction, there is an experience, but it shouldn't stand out. Because then it's already, in a way, too much,” he says. “And I think if you use it at home, a little bit is enough.”
A diffuser is the best way to capture the unmitigated effects of essential oils, Joosten says, as there is no heat or other ingredients to tamper with an oil’s properties. Larger diffusers can scent an entire room, but those in smaller spaces might want to use other methods to scent only a particular area.
“We have small diffusers, for example, non-electrical ones. These are aroma stones, you can just place it near your bed or on your desk,” he says. “It can also be a wooden diffuser or any surface in your house that absorbs oil, a piece of fabric, and then it releases the scent.”
“Basically feeling a scent is feeling on that level. Whatever you experience has incredible impact on your well-being, your emotions.”
Companies like retaW also sell a large variety of scent carriers — its reed diffusers are sized for desks and full rooms, while its scent tablets can be inserted into a shirt pocket or a wallet for scent only in your personal space. Many diffusers like the common reed diffusers, or all varieties of incense holders, or even modern takes on potpourri function as design elements as much olfactive experiences. Those who move around their home with their laptops might try a USB diffuser to waft fragrance around their portable workspace.
The introduction of certain scents inside the home can also provide a connection with nature and the outdoors that is now more difficult. Many living in cities like New York or Berlin might find the increased isolation at home also means a separation from the scents of springtime that April and May usually bring. Diptyque’s famed Lys and 19-69’s Villa Nellcôte evoke spring blooms of lillies and magnolia trees, respectively, while At-Aroma’s Awa essential oil blend is inspired by the cherry blossom season.
“Cherry blossom itself doesn't have a smell but it's more about what it evokes,” Joosten says. “It contains a small hint of jasmine, ylang ylang, geranium, grapefruit. The total impression of the scent is really the sense of new beginnings. The same as what you experience when everything starts to blossom.”
But your personal association to a particular smell will also impact how you interact with it, owing to scent’s strong association with memory. “It's universal, but at the same time, of course, scent is also personal,” Joosten says. “If you have a bad memory from something of your childhood, even a lovely scent that might trigger the same reaction 20 years later.”
The key is to trust your gut reaction. “I think that people have a much better nose than what they often think. It's not that there are only a few super noses in the world. I think people are much more capable of that,” Joosten says. “Because it's so connected to your emotions, they’re very clear about it.”
A new struggle for those who are self-isolating is using their homes for multiple purposes. They must now be a place to work, exercise, socialize and relax all at once. Switching from invigorating citrus or peppermint-based scents in the morning and during work hours, to a calming scent like lavender in the evening can provide differentiation in a space.
At-Aroma uses these elements of essential oils to develop its fragrances, in particular its Supplement Air series. Blends like For Wake Up (with peppermint and lemon) and For Meditation (with cypress and eucalyptus) are intended to aid the mind and body in particular activities. “Peppermint has this uplifting effect. Whether you like it or not, it's gonna activate, make you kind of wake up,” he says.
A diffuser is the best way to capture the unmitigated effects of essential oils, Joosten says, as there is no heat or other ingredients to tamper with an oil’s properties. Larger diffusers can scent an entire room, but those in smaller spaces might want to use other methods to scent only a particular area.
“We have small diffusers, for example, non-electrical ones. These are aroma stones, you can just place it near your bed or on your desk,” he says. “It can also be a wooden diffuser or any surface in your house that absorbs oil, a piece of fabric, and then it releases the scent.”