I remember when I was a kid, all my friends homes had a scent. A unique smell that made their homes their homes. I could be blindfolded and I would know instantly in which friend’s home I was. And I always wondered if my home had a unique scent to them too. These days I don’t pay much attention to how my friend’s homes smell, it must be a kid thing. But that got me thinking… how rad would it be if my friends thought that my home had a signature scent. Like department stores or hotels that always smell so good.

Off to do some research I went. As it turns out, professional scent creator, called ‘perfurmers’ is one of those real life super cool professions that nobody mentions when you’re trying to figure out what to be when you grow up. You know, along with video game tester, chocolate taster, private island caretaker or that person who names nail polishes.

I guess I should have paid more attention in chemistry class.

How professionals think about scent

Perfumers rarely start with individual notes. They start with mood. They ask questions like: How should this space make people feel? Energized or soothed. Curious or comforted. Grounded or uplifted.

A department store scent is never trying to shout. It is not floral or gourmand or spicy in an obvious way. It is usually built around balance. Something fresh to open the space, something warm to anchor it, something soft to make it feel human.

This is exactly how you should approach your home.

Before you think about oils or candles or diffusers, think about the emotional brief. Your home is not one thing, but you can still give it a signature mood. For me, I want my house to feel warm, lived in, slightly nostalgic, a bit masculine, but with soft elegance and welcoming in a way that says sit down, have a glass of whiskey and stay a while.

Once you have that feeling in mind, the rest becomes much easier.

Building a scent the professional way

Perfumers think in layers. Top notes, heart notes, base notes. Borrowing this structure is incredibly helpful.

Top notes are what you smell first when you walk in. These should feel clean and light. Citrus peels, fresh herbs, eucalyptus, bergamot. Think of opened windows on a warm morning.

Heart notes give the scent its personality. This is where you decide who you are today. Soft florals like lavender or geranium, green notes like fig leaf or gentle spices like cardamom.

Base notes are what linger. They are the reason someone hugs you and thinks you smell comforting. Woods, resins, vanilla without sweetness, amber, sandalwood, cedar.

A simple formula is one fresh note, one comforting note, one grounding note. You do not need more. Department store scents are often surprisingly restrained.

Making it my own

So, following that formula, here’s what I came up with:

Top notes (bright, fresh, welcoming):

• 3 drops Bergamot (fresh, slightly citrusy, elegant)
• 2 drops Grapefruit (adds a crisp, modern lift)

Heart notes (personality, warmth, sophistication):

• 3 drops Chamomile (soft, clean, comforting)
• 2 drops Clary Sage (herbaceous, subtly green, refined)

Base notes (longevity, depth, grounding):

1 drop Vanilla absolute (soft, cozy, inviting)

4 drops Cedarwood (woodsy, warm, classic)

2 drops Vetiver (earthy, luxurious, slightly smoky)

Once you get you scent, you can make your candles, reed diffusers or spray bottles.

Mistakes to avoid

The biggest mistake is using too much. Scent should greet you, not tackle you at the door. If you can smell it constantly, it is probably too strong. The goal is to notice it when you arrive, then forget about it until you leave and realise you miss it.

Another mistake is copying someone else’s blend exactly. Your home has its own smell already. Wood, fabrics, pets, cooking. A signature scent should work with that, not fight it.

And finally, do not try to scent every room the same way. Department stores zone their scents for a reason. Bedrooms should be softer. Kitchens need freshness. Bathrooms can handle something a little brighter. Keep the same family, just adjust the volume.

The magic part

The real magic happens when scent becomes memory. When friends walk into your home and say it smells like you. When you come back from a trip and breathe out the moment you open the door. When it feels like coming home to yourself.

That is what the professionals are really selling. Not a fragrance, but a feeling.

You do not need a lab or a logo or a million dollar budget to create that. You just need intention, a little curiosity, and the willingness to treat scent as part of how you live, not just something that smells nice.

Once you start, you will never look at your home the same way again.