Our senses tell us a lot about an interior space from the colors and shapes seen to the textures, aromas, and noises present. When designing your home, sight, touch, and sound are the natural sensations to focus on. You want your space to look good, feel comfortable, and sound inviting.
What about the smell of your space? If you haven't given much thought or credit to the power of smell, ask yourself:
What was my favourite smell as a child?
What smells do I dislike?
What smells bring my family together?
For me, smell is the first sensation that peaks when I step into anyone’s house. My favourite aroma: homemade baking. It feels warm and welcoming and takes me back to all the cakes, cookies, and loaves my mom baked for us growing up. That's what makes our sense of smell incredible. It can tell us what’s happening in our present environment and transport us back to places we used to live or connect us to memories and stories of our past.
While smell isn't a primary interior design consideration, playing with scents can do wonders to your space for minimal cost and effort:
Open windows to move stale air out and fresh air in.
Add a box of baking soda or a bowl of vinegar to absorb odors.
Launder soft materials (bedding, blankets, pillows) and vacuum floors regularly (admittedly, not fun) to stop sweat, odors, dust, etc. from building and stinking up your space.
Make your own DIY cleaners with essential oils (as someone who hates cleaning, this was a game-changer (and money-saver) for me!).
All of our senses combined shape our home experiences, so if you'd love to refresh your space on a budget, try one of the above recommendations to neutralize the air, then light a lovely scented candle or bake something delicious and enjoy!
what do you sense first when you step into your home?
The warm indoor air? A particular object, pattern, or color? The boisterous greeting from a pet? Or a subtle mix of scents you can’t describe but know well? Please share in the Comments below. I'd love to know what sense speaks to you most, and I hope it helps you take notice and lean into the sensations of home that feel good to you.
Always,
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