Creating Atmospheres

Preserve your memories with scent- creating memorable, sensory experiences in your spaces

It's something we've probably all experienced in our lifetime, but its

still relatively un-manipulated in terms of using it to create memorable atmospheres in the spaces you inhabit. This elusive sense, belonging to the realm of daydreams and desire, is scent. We've seen it used to add that extra layer to your spaces, but have we really thought of using it to its full potential?

Scientifically,scent is linked to memory. Ever wonder why the scent of baking bread takes you back to your childhood visits to grandmas house? Why the clouds of scented fog emitted on summer nights from Jasmine plants takes you back to walking through Sydney streets with your first date? It's all in the brain. The areas of the brain responsible for smells- the Olfactory Cortex, and the part of the brain that consolidates memories- the Hippocampus, are not only physically close, but connected to eachother.

But,the trick to making this science lesson relevant to creating atmospheres through memory in your spaces, comes down to the matter of manipulating your own brain. We've all come home stressed from work or a generally difficult day, wanting to find refuge in our homes, seeking tactile comfort in a soft lounge and visual relaxation from our settings, but an additional solution can be created through a little thinking and research.

Recallthe scents that take you back to happier times, use them in and around your home to manipulate your brain into forcing itself out of stress and putting you in a different, yet familiar place. Do you miss your absent lover? Spray their cologne or perfume on your pillows to evoke them powerfully in your mind. Do you want to relive your stay in India? Seek out the musky, spicy scents in incense to float around your home.

Themasses of scented candles and oils on the market come in so many varieties that new memories can be created on a whim. Burn an oil during a relaxing winter evening spent inside- to re-evoke the memory any time you like, burn the same oil and be instantly transported. The power of scent really can be used to give another dimension to the indoors, to create layers of sensory power to your spaces that affect you in ways you never thought possible.

- Caldonia (Romantiques Artist)