I don’t have any powder room progress to show you today, but I do have something that is important for any powder room and your whole house. It is something that smells divine.
As I was preparing the cabinet under the sink in the powder room for painting, I needed to clean it out first. One of the items I keep in the cabinet is air fresheners. Not the run-of-the-mill variety of Glade and Airwick, but wonderful smelling bottles of home fragrance.
Some even call it “Room Mist” or for all of us decorating lovers “Decorative Fragrance”. As I was moving the bottles as I cleaned, the blogger in me said,“Wow! I could write a blog post about these.” They are a big part of how I try to make my house a home.
I have a few bottles with a scent that I love. One is actually an Eau de Toilette, but I like to use it as an Eau De Room more.
I have nasal allergies and can’t be around scented candles and most inexpensive perfumes. When I pass one of those candle shops at the mall or the candle aisle in Target and Walmart I have to hold my nose before I pass or I will instantly get a headache. I have to test out every scent before I buy it. If I am invited to a party and they have scented candles burning, I have to leave or politely ask for them to be extinguished. My father and grandmother had the same problem, so I know it is genetic. The fact that I do not get a headache with the home fragrances I have bought makes me enjoy them even more.
For me, my house is not a home unless it smells good, too. My visual sense is satisfied with the decor and I like to balance the rest of my senses as well. Good smells along with feel-good music, comfy layers of texture to sit on, and of course good things from the kitchen. All of these factor in to create a distinct ambiance in a home that transcends the visual.
After I clean the house or I should say, semi-clean the house or when I am expecting company, I go around with one of these room scents in my hand spraying it into the air.
My absolute favorite is from Seda France. It is called Japanese Quince Room Mist. It is the company’s best selling scent and I understand why. It smells divine!!!
It does not make me sneeze or give me a headache. I love, love, love it! I wish you could scratch your computer screen to get a whiff, but that “app” has not come our way yet. :-) It could be called “smellavision”.
I became a big fan after stumbling upon it at a chic little boutique in Stone Harbor, NJ a few summers ago. The shop smelled so good that I didn’t want to leave. No headache or nausea feel. I had to buy it. Since that first purchase, I have bought it a few times as well as soap for the powder room. I read on Seda France’s website that Oprah gave it away in one of her Favorite Things giveaway shows.
My second favorite decorative fragrance for my home is not actually a room mist, but an Eau De Toilette that is for your body. Since it passed the headache test and I adore the scent, I use it as a home fragrance, too.
It is made by Le Couvent des Minimes. I bought it at the Bonton in Lancaster, PA a few years ago. They do make it in a room mist now. It is called Verbena & Lemon Room Mist If you are my age and remember the best selling drug store perfume of the 70’s called, Loves Fresh Lemon, made by Menley and James – you will like this. Clean and fresh smelling.
My other two favorite decorative fragrances are a Grapefruit Room Spray by Lothantique and Yuletide by Aromatique.
I have had Yuletide for a few years and used the bottle up this past Christmas. I bought it at TJ Maxx. I went to Aromatique’s website, but they don’t sell it anymore or they changed the name to The Smell of Christmas. I hope it is the same. I will be searching the aisles at Home Goods, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls so that I have it for next Christmas.
Keeping my house smelling nice truly makes me happy, but also creates a welcoming impression to anyone that enters. It is subtle, but fills the senses that make you want to sit, stay awhile, and get comfy.
Do you like your home to smell nice? What are your favorite ways to add scent to your home? I have been reading a lot about essential oils in diffusers lately. Does anyone use or recommend any of these?
I am off to NYC for the next two days for an event. I have been told that I will be coming home with lots of goodies to give away to one of you. Stay tuned!
I love the wallflowers at Bath and Body Works – you attach the bottles to a device that is plugged in to the wall and it slowly releases the scent – it is supposed to last for about 6 weeks. I only discovered the Lavender Vanilla and Lilac ones just a week ago and I smile and melt every time I walk past a room where these are plugged in. For the bathroom, I plugged in a nightlight version and added the Lilac because the lady told me it was supposed to be an odor eater and would be fabulous next to a litter box. That bathroom smells divine. I am going out this weekend and buying one to put next to the litter box. I enjoyed your post and the ideas you gave me. I’m going to try and find these scents you mentioned and smell them.
HI Kathy- thanks for sharing your faves with me. I will have to try one up in the bathroom where we keep our cats liter box. It can get rather stinky at times :)
I have the same problem with perfumes, scented candles, etc. I get horrible headaches and sick to my stomach. One scent that I love and does not make me sick is Pottery Barn’s Pomagranate Scented Oil diffuser. I have not tried the candles they have in the same scent.
I have made a note of these…… sounds like me. I need something that does not make me cough or close up my breathing. And I am healthy too…. but most of the stuff does that to me anyway.
Thanks for the reference.
What a great post. I don’t know many other people that use anything other than candles or traditional store bought air fresheners to keep their houses smelling nice. I like the look of candles but don’t ever light them because we have cats that don’t seem to think there is a problem walking right over an open flame…lol. And Glade, Airwicks, etc. all smell to strong. I personally like to use the body mists from Bath & Body Works. My fave is Sweet Pea. Such a clean fresh smell.
XOXO,
Erin
When my nephew was very young, he always walked into my house and took in huge sniffs, like he was drinking the air, and then he’d let out a big sigh. He said, “It always smells like food in here.” That went on for years, (he’s 18 now) and I finally asked him if that was a good thing. He said, “Aunt Pam, your house always smells like home.” That is the best compliment I could ever get, so when I buy fragrance or candles, I seek out the herb/baking/food fragrances.
I love your post on room fragrances. But what resounded with me the most are your comments about nasal allergies. I have the SAME issue with scents – they give me massive headaches. My friends think I’m neurotic, so it’s great to hear someone else express what we go through. I’ll be sure to try out the items you listed. Thanks for the post!
I followed the link for the Verbena & Lemon room mist but it went to a body mist. I searched the web site but couldn’t find the room mist. Am I missing something? I LOVED Love’s Fresh Lemon as a teen.
Hi Elizabeth –
I looked for the page on the site and could not find the page where the room mist was either. Interesting…a few days ago when I went to get the link for my post that I had seen only a few days prior, their website was down for maintenance and I could not get the link. I guess they removed the page where I saw the fragrance in a room mist. :( I do use the Body Mist for my house.
I wish there was a smell-a-vision app! I tried making my own jasmine scented diffusers…but…the “recipe called for vodka”…and it sort of worked. It was cheaper than buying diffusers, but…quite messy. I just might have to try one of yours! Have fun on your trip! ;)
Wanted to read your article on house scents, but the new
‘follow them on Pinterest” covers a good portion of the
article. How do I get it off so I can read the article it is
covering?
Oh my gosh Diane, it was like reading about me through YOUR eyes except one other difference, I have asthma so my parents being the same way always wanted our house smelling nice but didn’t want me to go into an asthma attack or them and me major a headache, so, we could never have any nice smelling things because they were so afraid of me getting sick. I remember the Seda France (seems like it was in their house about 10 years ago) but it was in another fragrance, I think maybe it was lavender and they had my family over for Christmas, when I walked in everyone kind of went silent and turned to me (I thought the cat had died or something) and then it hit me, I smelled this wonderful, sweet, beautiful fragrance and just keep walking through the house like no one’s business (while everyone else’s is asking me are you okay?) well now I got it, they did not know how I would react to the room spray, duh! lol. Oh, you brought me down memory lane. Now, I too have checked out room sprays and the ones you have listed I have tried, the T.J.Maxx here had different ones and I actually have a little of the Yuletide left but have not seen it since, but there are still others around. Thank you for reminding me that I don’t need to go without the sweet smells of my home, I just have to look a little harder for them :-) HUGS