How to Find the Perfect Home Fragrance

Home fragrance is a quick and easy way to change the feel of a room – as well as lift your mood. Find the right scent for you and your space with our expert tips

Content editor

Dulcie Emerson

Scented candle and room diffuser on a stool in a bathroom

Choose a fragrance family

Fragrance families have certain notes or scents in common.

Fresh Bright, clean and uplifting scents, often contain notes of neroli, sea salt and jasmine.

Citrus Refreshing and zesty with sparkling top notes including lemon, bergamot mandarin and grapefruit.

Amber Distinct scents with full-bodied, rich and warming tones such as vanilla, leather, pepper, tonka bean and woods.

Floral Blossoming aromas that complement each other such as jasmine, mimosa, rose, freesia and peony.

Herbal Botanical scents have relaxing qualities and may use notes of lavender, sweet orange, geranium and cedarwood.

Gourmand Mouth-watering ‘edible’ scents, with hints of vanilla, caramel, coffee, chocolate and honey.

Fruity Sweet berry bases or more tropical scents, often with notes of pomegranate, apple, fig or rhubarb.

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Coffee table with assorted essential oils on a tray and a Neom electronic diffuser

How to care for home fragrance

Electric diffusers: Essential oils can clog up electronic diffusers, so it's important to clean your diffuser regularly. After each use, wipe with a cloth to remove any excess oil or water. Clean by adding a teaspoon of white vinegar and running it outside for a short time. When the diffuser is in use, fragrance levels can be increased by adding more oil drops to the water base.

Candles: Always ensure you read all warnings and advice before use as these can change depending on the candle. When using the first time, ensure you burn for a few hours to allow the scent to develop and release. Extinguish candles with a snuffer and trim the wick to 10mm before the next use to ensure a safe, clean burn.

Reed diffusers: We recommend using five to seven reeds in your diffuser. In larger rooms, or for a stronger scent, add more diffuser reeds. Flip reeds weekly to refresh the fragrance and replace if using refills.

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Assorted scented candles on a dinner table

Select the right scent for each room

Living room: Match scents to the occasion, or time of year, and avoid anything overpowering. Experiment with Fresh Linen or cardamom, cinnamon leaf and sandalwood to create a calm ambience, or for something a little more aromatic, try Frankincense and Myrrh.

Kitchen: Citrus or spiced scents work well as they won’t clash with the smells of cooking. Blackberry Rambles (berries, pomegranate, apple and sweet pears) smells good enough to eat, or try a neroli, lime and basil candle by Fragrance Society.

Bathroom: Fresh, clean scents with an outdoorsy feel are perfect for the bathroom. We recommend our fresh smelling Frosty Trail diffuser.

Bedroom: Bedrooms call for calming scents, such as lavender or sage, to help you relax. Consider the Warmth or Sleep ranges from Apothecary. This Slow Morning diffuser from the Scentiments range will add a subtly sweet fragrance to your room.

Home office: For your home office, choose scents that aid concentration. A lime, bergamot and mandarin-scented candle from our Library of Scent range is great for mornings, or try our Wild Meadows gift set with focus-boosting top notes.

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