From adding warmth to the atmosphere to evoking happy memories, the right home fragrance can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home beautifully
We all know there’s nothing quite like stepping through your front door after a long day and being enveloped by the comforting aromas of home. While the particular fragrance changes from house to house, it’s important to spend the time discovering exactly the right one for your home. The right scent can soothe, welcome or relax you, be uplifting or inspiring, and in some cases, even help sell a house – all it takes is a little understanding.
When it comes to perfumes and colognes we painstakingly wade through hundreds of scents to find that unique, signature scent that will become synonymous with our style – but when it comes to deciding how to fragrance our homes, we often resort to purchasing the first option available in the nearest supermarket product and learn to live with it.
This need not, and should not, be the case however. Smells can evoke powerful memories, and with over 400 receptors in each nose we are constantly picking up on different smells – these scents can be pivotal in how our mood is set.
In Arabian culture, welcoming guests into your home is something that is very important; the warmth and greeting are an integral part of their culture, and one way this is enhanced is by the carefully choosing a scent or home fragrance that will greet the nose of the guests. In a traditional household, special occasions such as a wedding or a guest arriving will mean the time-honoured Bukhoor/Bakhoor, scented bricks or a blend of natural wood chips soaked in fragrant oils and a blend of other ingredients, then burned with charcoal or incense to perfume the house with a rich smoke.
There are certain fragrances that are quintessentially Arabic, featuring widely across the Middle East, each aroma holds many properties; for example Agarwood, which is heralded for not only its religious properties but also its overall healing powers to promote well-being in individuals. Coffee and cinnamon notes are renowned for being a welcoming scent in the home, pivotal in how guests are greeted and tended to – it is most definitely a symbol of hospitality. In a similar vein, to decorate your home, using a perfume should enhance and mimic the atmosphere you’ve strived to create with furnishings and colour schemes.
Here is a breakdown of the popular essential oils used in the Middle East and their properties:
- Sandalwood: Not only is this used as a natural sleep remedy, in small doses this wonder oil is even known to have cancer fighting properties
- Rose: Often associated with love and romance, rose oil can also act as an antidepressant, antiviral and, in mild concentrates, alleviate headaches
- Musk: This oil is perfect for day to day use, soothing anxieties and increasing inner strength. It is also known to be used to purify a sacred place as well as clearing your mind, promoting calmness and well-being
- Saffron: A warm, woody aroma, this oil is known to improve your mood, beat depression and ‘protect your heart’ with its properties.
- Cinnamon: This spice, known first and foremost for being a cooking ingredient and digestive aid, is a wonderful addition to any home fragrance. It is a warm, welcoming scent that plays a big role in boosting the immune system and alleviating dark moods.
- Cardamom: This useful spice is an excellent addition to any home, its fragrance is known for reducing nausea and lowering blood pressure
- Orange: Sweet, tangy and refreshing, this oil promotes happiness and warmth, helps alleviate cold and flu symptoms and even reduces stress
A blend of various different oils is recommended to create a balanced and harmonious offering, however knowing which ones complement each other is usually best left up to the experts. With such extensive collections in malls and shops – we have put together a breakdown of our top 3 signature scents, what they offer and where to find them:
Hope Room Spray by Amouage
Established in Oman in 1983, this perfume house has redefined the ancient art of perfumery. Using traditional Middle Eastern materials, it strives to achieve the best quality scent that is both authentic and long lasting, a legacy that it has continued even in its home fragrances collection.The Hope room spray by Amouage is a blend of floral notes like rose, violet, ylang ylang that can be clearly differentiated through the strong notes of pepper, ginger, cardamom and cumin lending a spicy touch to the fragrance. As the fragrance settles, one can experience the serenity of calming incense, patchouli, oakmoss and sandalwood at the base.
White Musk Oil by The Body Shop
Known for offering natural and organic products, The Body Shop also has a collection of room and linen sprays as well. This home fragrance oil will fill your home with the aroma of musk that adds freshness to the atmosphere. You have to use it with an oil burner. The unique combination of notes in this oil makes it a long lasting fragrance.
Scented bouquet Triptyque by Esteban Paris, Collection Ambre
Composed of vegetal sticks plunged into a scented solution, the scented bouquet perfumes your home for several weeks. This scented bouquet can last for a very long time. Once all the scented solution has been diffused, a choice of 10 perfumes and new sticks can be used to refresh the product. Depending on your preference, you can also alter the intensity of the perfume diffused by turning the sticks time to time.
