Smell is the strongest of the five senses and the one that impacts our emotions the most. When it comes to our home, a beautiful scent will enhance any space in your house, setting your desired mood or giving the perfect finishing touch to your home decor.
So how can you use aromatherapy to set the perfect mood for each room in your home? We spoke to Nathalie Allard, artisan perfumer and the founder of award-winning natural home fragrance company Petits Rituels, for advice on choosing natural fragrances to complement every room in your home.
Here are her suggestions for natural scents to help you create your own sanctuary of well-being and happiness:
Living room
The sitting room is the place where we tend to spend most of our time and where we socialise both as a household and with guests.
A warming scent is perfect during a cold winter’s night by the fire or if you just want to feel tucked away from the outside world. Cinnamon bark, nutmeg, clove and ginger oils are wonderful to diffuse during the cooler season. Try mixing them with sweet orange, mandarin or tangerine to add an uplifting note during gloomy winter days.
Warming and relaxing winter blend
3 drops of Cinnamon Bark
2 drops of Clove
2 drops of Sweet Orange
1 drop of Lemongrass
A cheerful scent can help reduce the effects of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or just a touch of winter blues. Citrus oils such as sweet orange, tangerine, mandarin and grapefruit bring vibes of sunshine, blues skies and greenery, while bergamot adds a more floral note. Combined with oils such as neroli and jasmine will help combat feelings of sadness or even depression.
Happiness blend
3 drops of Mandarin
1 drop of Neroli
1 drop of Jasmine
Create the perfect atmosphere for celebration with an energising blend that will make your guests feel at ease. You can use any citrus oils and add essential oils such as rose geranium or jasmine for a relaxing floral note.
Party blend
4 drops of Sweet Orange
2 drops of Rose Geranium
Bedroom
The bedroom is the place for essential oils that are relaxing, promote sleep - or even help ease any psychological or emotional blockers that interfere with sexual arousal!
Lavender, roman chamomile, clary sage and petitgrain are all great for sending you off to sleep. Blend lavender or clary sage with marjoram if anxiety is getting in your way in the bedroom.
Sleep blend
3 drops of Lavender
3 drops of Petitgrain
3 drops of Marjoram
Bathroom
With some candles, relaxing music and a warm bath, the bathroom can easily become your own home spa - so why not complete the effect by making your bathroom smell like a spa by mixing some relaxing French lavender with eucalyptus.
But if you just want a freshly-cleaned smell to kick start your day, mixing some invigorating spearmint with some uplifting lemongrass gives off a slight clinical scent that will fool any guests into thinking you’ve been rushing around with a mop.
Spa blend
4 drops of Eucalyptus
2 drops of French Lavender
Blend to kick-start your day
3 drops of Spearmint
3 drops of Lemongrass
Home office
If you’re working from home and need a boost to get creative and move forward with fresh ideas, try invigorating spearmint. Cypress is said to help boost willpower, perseverance and motivation, while rosemary is a great stimulating essential oil to keep you fresh and focussed during long study sessions.
All-round study blend
3 drops of Rosemary
2 drops of Spearmint
2 drops of Cypress
Safety precautions
Some essential oils are not safe for use during pregnancy or for people with certain medical conditions such as epilepsy, so always check with a qualified medical practitioner if this applies to you or anyone in your home.
Also always make sure that your oils are stored where children can’t find them.
Nathalie Allard is an Artisan Perfumer and the founder of Petits Rituels, an award-winning natural home fragrance company.