I walked into an antique store the other day and nearly swooned from the heavenly fragrance that filled the air. Whoa – the gents were piping it in by the gallon, hypnotizing the haus fraus into buying. As I rounded the corner past French ormolu, I came to the culprit: a table loaded with hundreds of votive candles and fragrant soaps. The scent they put out was fillinga five thousand-foot space. We’re talking choking, albeit delicious, fumes. Now that’s power.
You can use the same principle in your home. Fragrant, scented soaps are far more economical and powerful than sachets or boring old potpourri. Place a large lavender soap (unwrapped) in your lingerie drawer and the next time you open it, be amazed at how the scent collects, a lovely surprise each time you pull out fresh undies.
Other places to stash soaps:
Bedside drawer, massed in a pretty bowl in the bathroom, the top shelf in closets, next to your sheets. Buy in bulk. 10 soaps should fragrance your home. Be ingenious.
Layering Scent:
Choose a theme fragrance for each room of your house and use a variety of methods to release the same scent. Traditionally, kitchens are citrus-based, while bedroom scents are spicier and more sensual, like jasmine or ylang-ylang. (Vanilla, surprisingly, was found to be one of the most seductive scents to the male nose, so spray some on the sheets, Betty Crocker.) Try woodsy notes in the office or library. Dining rooms are typically kept scent-less with plain tapers. You do not want candles to compete with food.
Layer Two or More of These Per Room
Flowers, plants, incense, scented candles, diffusers, soaps, linen sprays, potpourri, room spray, sachets, pomanders, even tossing herbs on burning firewood.
Example: A pot of lavender growing by the window, two lavender candles and stashed soap between the cushions of your couch. Mmmm, lavender-y. Don’t overdo it or your captives will shout: “Quick, crack the window, let’s escape from Grasse!”
