Scents for the home

Santa Maria Novella's potpourri

In a recent “101 Quick Make-Overs” story on the House Beautiful site, a designer Jackie Terrell recommended this potpourri with a caveat: 

“I don’t use fragrance normally, but there’s nothing quite like Santa Maria Novella’s potpourri. People walk into the house and say, ‘Oh, what is that?’ It’s just incredibly clean and fresh.”

-Jackie Terrell

That got me thinking about all the scent solutions out there (many that I have given as gifts, but personally don’t use in my home). It’s funny, I would always like to walk in my front door and smell something fresh, clean, or stimulating. In fact, I’ve given countless spendy reeded scent diffusers as gifts, but never purchased one just for me. And I don’t light candles often, even a few deluxe models I’ve received as gifts.

Then, I came across this great post about DIY scented diffusers on ThisYoungHouse.com the other day. I loved the idea that I could make a diffuser myself, out of my own favorite fragrances, with things I have around the house.

DIY Scent Diffuser (via ThisYoungHouse.com)

I will definitely try this out, it’s a great idea.

However, right now I’m covered in the home scent department. Working on the living room, I ordered a new seagrass rug from NaturalAreaRugs.com to give the two front parlors and the dining room some parity (that giant, busy Persian number that was in there before has never really worked in any room it’s ever lived in).

The fresh seagrass scent is a knockout… I love it (though I could see how it might not have universal appeal). It will fade in time, but not for a good long while I hope.