Sunday, September 19, 2021

The Scent of a Home

Marie Daage

 
I have a collection of these wonderful chinoiserie candles I got years ago at Neiman Marcus. These hand painted porcelain Limoges goblets feature Chinaman on a Swing, often seen in chinoiserie fabrics and wallpapers. I unfortunately can't source them anywhere in the US for you, just abroad. But they are so darling, I had to share.

We spend a lot of money on how our homes look, but to me, it's also so important how it smells. I even have a cabinet where I stash a supply of candles and diffusers. 

Here is my candle cabinet in my kitchen.


CCC


CCC

CCC

A few tips to share on having a wonderful smelling home. First, I use diffusers as well as candles. They work 24/7 without smoke or risk of fire. Second, don't be afraid to combine scents to create your own signature house scent. You know how Anthropologie stores smell so incredible? It is not one scent - they typically have several different candles burning and you are smelling a combination of scents. I often burn two candles. Third, don't buy cheap candles anymore than you would buy cheap perfume. They are perfume for your home. Lastly, a clean fresh home is the starting point. Scents are to enhance, not to mask.

Here are some of my favorites - all Chinoiserie Chic.

The gardenia is native to China and Japan. Diptyque Gardenia candle is a favorite of mine that I always have around. Diptyque candles are iconic and this classic green floral will linger beautifully in your home.


Diptyque Gardenia


With its beautiful pagoda packaging, Seda France's Japanese Quince is such a favorite that is always at CCC. This provocative scent has notes of rhubarb, passion fruit, white peach, and white jasmine petals. I highly recommend the candles and the liquid hand soap. Trust me on this one - it's wonderful.


Seda France Japanese Quince Candle


Seda France Japanese Quince Three Wick Candle


Seda France Japenese Quince Hand Soap

NEST scents are extraordinary, truly turning your home into a garden. A favorite of mine is Bamboo with its notes of white florals, sparkling citrus, and fresh green. I like both the diffuser and the candle. This is a sophisticated floral with white flowers - freesia, tuberose, and gardenia and gives your home a spa like feel. It is a favorite of Bunny Williams. This is a perfect scent if you like a subtle floral.


Nest Bamboo Candle



Nest Bamboo Diffuser


Lastly, THE iconic Anthropologie candle. It's a requirement that all Anthro stores have one lit at all times. Volcano is a mix of “tropical fruits, sugared oranges, lemons and limes, redolent with lightly exotic mountain greens”—a.k.a., it brings to mind exactly where you’re not and where you’d rather be. 


Anthropologie Capri Blue Volcano






13 comments:

  1. Thank you for all of the great recommendations! A few brands that I like are Voluspa and Jo Malone. JM is owned now by Estée Lauder and the last candle I bought had big air bubbles in the bottom! Disappointing but you’ve given me some good alternatives.
    Another favorite is Cannabis by Malin & Goetz;
    it’s a little heavier but I love burning it in the fall and winter.

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    1. I have mixed feelings about Voluspa and I think Jo Malone had really gone downhill.

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  2. I am obsessed with having a home that smells good! Over the years I was in love with Rigaud Cypress, then Diptique Baies, but now I am really obsessed with Mad et Len Spirituelle! I have the largest sizes they make and also their infused lava rock. The containers are black so it may not be for everyone, though they are also gorgeous. Made in France of course where all good candles come from!

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    1. Actually, Seda France, Nest, and Volcano are all US made, not French. Mad en Len is definitely a niche market both visually and scent wise and not for everyone at all.

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    2. I know a lot of people love Rigaud Cypress, but I can't stand the color or the scent.

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  3. OMG, your chinoiserie candle holders are so fun! Thank you for all the home fragrance recommendations. I happen to love the scent of gardenias, so I will definitely try the Diptyque candle. Cartier used to have a perfume called "So Pretty", which had a gardenia scent to it. I adored it, but it was discontinued. I love candles, but have to be very wary, as I live in the CA, and currently we are extremely dry and there are lots of wildfires. Pretty scary. How do diffusers work?

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    1. Diffusers have reeds that absorb the liquid and release the scent into the air - see picture above.

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  4. About 10 or 12 years ago, I walked into the gorgeous J. Brown shop in Old Town & smelled the most beautiful scent I'd ever encountered, Nest's Bamboo. In the interim I've tried others but this is my favorite. The three-wick candle, defuser, hand wash & hand lotion. I have it all. 💚

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    1. John has great taste. Mudhouse Coffee has purchased the building and he is tying to get bought out of his lease BTW.

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  5. We try to use candles inside our home that are as environmentally safe as possible with non-lead wicks and such. I also don't like over decorated containers or colored candles if I can avoid it- @shopcandlefish (originally in Charleston but now Atlanta as well) creates the most amazing smelling candles in glass containers or goldtone tins and they are all white. You can even create custo blends but they have soooo many delicious scents to choose from! They are long burning as well. The quality is amazing.

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    1. First, lead wicks were banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2003. The vast majority of candles available in the US are cotton wicks, and the few that have metal inside the wick to strengthen it are zinc which is completely safe. Candlefish sounds very nice, but with numbers only on the candles and no fragrance notes listed, they are clearly designed for someone who can visit the store and figure out what they like. The vast majority of people do not live in Charleston nor Atlanta. It is clearly not a mail order product. Especially with the pandemic, I'll take free shipping of the candles I love to my door step. And a beautiful container is very important to me as well.

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