I love the sound
of “breathing in the crisp fall air,” but I get that we don’t really have the
opportunity to actually do it. I choose to block out the hot air of our
great outdoors and create my own fall atmosphere inside. All I need is good scents.
One great way to add some fall essence to your space is by
burning scented candles. I love the
small Mason jar candles and three wick glass jar candles that come in a lengthy
list of delicious fragrances like “Pumpkin Caramel Latte,” “Sea Salt &
Maple Popcorn,” and “Pumpkin Pecan Waffles.”
Lighting one of these might help you skip dessert, they’re so sweet. There are also many varieties that focus on
leaves, woods, apples, cinnamon, and other crisp options. Candles are long lasting and create scents
that waft from the original room, really offering a treat for the senses.
Wall plug-ins are another way to diffuse fall fragrances in
your home. They can be found in many
different varieties and offer discrete scent dispersal from any outlet. Oil burners offer a similar service and come
in both plug-in and tealight candle options.
You fill the top portion with scented oil or a wax disc or square that
melts and burns with the heat of a light bulb or small flame. The aroma can cover quite a lot of square
footage, really maximizing your scent distribution.
Room sprays are a hands-on way to add a quick spritz of
seasonal scent to the air. Keep a bottle
in a drawer near your front entryway or under the kitchen sink for a fast mist
when you’re expecting company or before you serve dinner. Potpourri is a classic, and today it gets a
bit of a modern twist when dried naturals, shells, nuts, and wooden pieces are
combined in scented sets that can be poured into a decorative bowl and put on
display. When the strength of the scent
dissipates, you can pour the set into a plastic storage bag, spray with a
seasonal room spray, quickly zip it closed, and shake vigorously to add a fresh
coating. Add it back to your bowl, and
it’s like brand new potpourri again.
I’m also a fan of updating all the soaps around the house
for each season. I stock up on hand
soaps for the kitchen and each bathroom sink, as well as new shower gel in a few
fall varieties. Each time you turn on a
faucet, you get a little dose of good-smelling yumminess.
That fall feel doesn’t have to originate outside; it can be
created indoors with sweet aromas and spicy sprays that envelop you in the scents
of the season.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star October 12th.
