How to make a home smell expensive – 4 tried-and-tested fragrance hacks from experts

There is nothing that elevates a home more than the way it smells. No matter what future you invest in or the color schemes you choose for the walls, a house that doesn't smell nice is instantly off-putting both to you and your guests.

However, when trying to make a home look expensive, we usually focus on the decor and let the scent fall by the wayside. This, fragrance experts warn, is one of the biggest home scenting mistakes any homeowner can make.

But how do you make a home smell more expensive? Here, the professionals share the four biggest secrets to making a home smell luxurious for that added touch of elegance.

How to make a home smell expensive

We might not believe it, but our home’s signature scent plays a massive part in how expensive or luxurious our home feels. Some experts would go so far as to suggest we should focus a good portion of our decorating budget on it. Without it, a home can feel one-dimensional. With it, our space can feel perfectly put together.

These are the four fragrance essentials to focus on to make a home smell nice for a touch of luxury.

1. Opt for high-quality scenting methods

Of course, we can light a few candles or pop a reed diffuser on the entryway table, but not just any scenting medium will do, warns Allison Gustafson, owner of Applewood Candles Co.

‘Quality 1000% matters for two reasons,’ she begins. ‘Firstly, you want to ensure that your beautiful, luxury home isn't covered in soot from burning inexpensive, unclean candles. Secondly, quality matters because of our health,’ she warns. ‘Quality, clean ingredients won't be harmful to one's health and wellness.’

For that reason, if you want luxury, it is best to invest in the best candles and the best oil diffusers you can afford. They might cost a little more, but the price often reflects the experience.

2. Opt for fragrances with depth

When picking the best scents for every room of your home, you should always opt for fragrances with depth for a more luxurious, expensive ambiance, which suggests Allison Gustafson, home fragrance expert:

‘First and foremost, our top tip would be to choose a home fragrance blend versus a simple scent. For example, a home fragrance blend has a collection of top, heart, and base notes, where each individual note works in harmony with the others, creating a cohesive and unique blend.

‘Our goal when hand-curating our blends is that we shouldn't be able to immediately place the notes, instead, the blend should create an overall 'vibe.' A curated home fragrance blend immediately screams 'expensive' and 'elegant,' in our opinion. On the contrary, a simple scent would be something where you can immediately smell the individual note or one or two notes, such as a simple 'Cherry Blossom' scent, or something bakery style, such as a cookie scent.’

When picking the best home fragrance for a more expensive atmosphere, Allison recommends one of the following for a more mature aroma:

• Teakwood – for an everyday cozy vibe
• White Santal – for a sultry, sexy vibe
• Saffron – one of the most expensive spices in the world, paired as an exotic scent note

3. Pick scents with natural origins

On the topic of the best scents for an expensive home, you should try to steer clear of fragrances that have sickly sweet names, or are scented around a concept in favor of more elegant naturally derived scents, says Ed Dailey, director of product education at Young Living Essential Oils. This means putting the ‘birthday cake’ candle down and picking up the pure gourmand vanilla bean, or swapping ‘toasted fireside marshmallow’ for a higher-end oud or sandalwood.

‘A ‘good’ natural home scent brings joy, relaxation, and a sense of well-being to you and those sharing the space,’ Ed shares. ‘As always, the quality of the ingredients matters. Choose natural scents made from high-quality essential oils to ensure the most authentic fragrance.’

4. Ensure it is noticeable, but not overpowering

While you will want to make your home smell good all the time, it is important to avoid overpowering the space with fragrance, lest you set off a guest with allergies or asthma, or give yourself a headache, warns Kim Berg, fragrance trend expert at Air Wick. that being said, you still want your fragrance to be noticeable:

‘Fragrance intensity can also deliver a more luxurious experience, as you may seek to deepen the intensity of your favorite fragrances. If you are investing in home fragrance, you want to ensure your guests can smell it.’

She suggests a plug-in diffuser to provide a continuous yet subtle scent, then boosting the fragrance by layering a similar-smelling candle or room spray when you want a little extra.

FAQs

Why do luxury hotels smell so good?

Luxury hotels usually deploy several scenting methods to ensure a continuous subtle, yet refined fragrance. They will often opt for diffusers, especially diffusers that attach to air vents to omit a relaxing scent that makes you feel more at ease. They often also have a signature scent that is used throughout the hotel for an olfactory experience that you come to associate with their brand.

Of course, scenting a home will only take you so far in making a home smell expensive. Making sure you keep on top of cleaning a home and decluttering mess will also contribute to a more luxurious fragrance by preventing musty odors. Maintain good ventilation and use nicely-scented cleaning products to create a layered fragrance experience.