From cedar to cork, open fires to vintage books – what materials should we be building into our homes for their natural aromas?
Smell can inform how you experience a space. It can also trigger sensory memories from your past; a grandparent's garden, the dusty cupboard under the stairs, spices in the kitchen – smells are deeply personal but unanimously nostalgic. Perhaps more than any other sense, smell can immediately catapult you through space and time. It makes sense, then, that designers might consider scent when creating a space, calling on its power to evoke a feeling for those who live in and visit a space. “By using smell in built spaces, architects are able to increase user satisfaction and even encourage certain types of behaviour or emotional experiences,” suggests Emily Beyda in The Art of Scent in Architecture.
Building and decorating with naturally scented materials, rather than scents draped over or concealing what lies underneath, is a great way to ensure that your house is continually and naturally aromatic. Candles, reed diffusers and incense are popular options for those looking to perfume their homes, but what about the materials themselves? Can we design and build for a positive olfactory experience at home?
In contrast, some natural materials, like stone in particular, release an off-putting or sulphuric smell which might create an unpleasant atmosphere. Chemical smells – like off-gassing bedding or upholstery – might also provide quite the opposite effect for your nose and spirit (and well-being.)
Cork isn't the only material that has a naturally perfuming concomitance; several types of wood, seagrass, jute and sisal are wonderfully scented products to use in the building and design of a house. Open fires – both lit and unlit – can also conjure lovely aromas throughout the house, as can old books in a library and antique leather furniture.
Wood
From beams to floorboards, wood is a material commonly used in the construction of houses. You might add wood in cladding or for a full extension, garden room or lean-to. Where it might be cheaper or easier to opt for lumber, timber or engineered wood products like MDF, there are several more sustainable options that will fill your home with the lovely green, warm smells of natural woods; cedar, walnut, mesquite, cherry and pecan have particularly favourable aromas.
Olive wood, too, is known for smelling like green olives when cut. You might start by looking at the type of wood most readily available in your local area in order to reduce the distance it has to travel. Also, consider what colour the wood will become with age so it will continue to work with your scheme as it evolves.
Logs
Adding a wall of logs or even nice woven baskets of wood and kindling will often bring a comforting, oaky depth to your living room.
Open fireplaces
Arguably, there's no better smell than that which emits from an open fireplace. Cosy, romantic and sensual, it's no wonder that the grande dames of smells Diptyque have tried (very successfully) to bottle it in their Feu de Bois candle. If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace or even a small wood burner in your house, then the real deal can be totally life-enhancing.
There are now rightly strict regulations on what you can and can't burn, and following these limitations should help to keep your home gorgeously perfumed and still safe. You can now buy environmentally conscious logs, like these which are made from the coffee granule waste from coffee shops, which not only smell delicious but burn 20% hotter than kiln-dried wood logs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ‘more than 130% compared to grounds sent to standard disposal method’, according to the company.
A roaring fire is a particular luxury in a bedroom, seen here in Lars Bolander's 17th-century Swedish farmhouse. Here Lars broke through the original chimney to create the fireplace in the main bedroom. Waking up to a burnt-out fire in the morning is a rare and romantic experience.
Seagrass, sisal and jute
Sisal, jute and other natural fibres are a great choice for covering large areas, and you can always layer other more decorative rugs on top.
The benefit of seagrass and sisal is also, as Ben points out, that it smells delicious. It is perfect for anything from a large sitting room to a small office, children's room to (whisper it) bathrooms. Sisal is also often used for stair runners, hallways and corridors, due to its natural, neutral finish but also its ability to fragrance the entire house without being overwhelming.
Leather
Leather has a distinctly earthy and grounded smell. Vintage leather is much more sustainable than buying new leather goods, and can carry a warming, comfortable smell as you sink into it. You can also polish leather with natural wax or oil to maintain or enhance its aroma.
Books
Many people cite old books as their favourite smells, along with freshly cut grass or warm laundry. Lining your walls with books, particularly in a small space, will create an enveloping sensation (in terms of look and smell).
Cork
Circling back to the start, cork is a super trendy but consistently cool material that suits a myriad different spaces. The smell is nostalgic and natural, without dominating a space. Its industrial feel means it works well in offices, studios and workshops, but it can just as easily work in a bathroom or kitchen (when appropriately coated).
So, will the architecture of scent be an influence for your next design project? With smell having such a unanimously strong influence on how we experience space, it seems obvious to consider it when designing a project, whether that's in the materials you use or how you lay out a room. Simply placing a fragrant lavender bush beneath your bedroom window could be life-enhancing.
This story originally appeared on our sister publication House & Garden UK.
