6 Cozy Ways to Make Your Whole House Smell Amazing
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One of the best ways to make your house feel more like a home is to have an inviting scent wafting throughout your space. Naturally, keeping everything clean certainly helps. But there's something about giving your home a signature scent that makes it so much more inviting.
Your brain may have immediately gone to lighting a candle as an easy fix. And you're right! Candles are often the go-to way not only to eliminate bad odors but to introduce good ones, too. Let's be honest, most of us can't wait to light a fall candle when the weather gets chilly or a winter candle to get in the Christmas spirit.
But candles need to be monitored. An open flame shouldn't be left unattended, so you have to make sure you blow them out when you leave the house. And if you have kids or pets, that's a whole other level of concern. So if you're looking for how to make your home smell nice without using candles or in addition to them, try these easy fixes!
Switch to Wax Warmers
If you love the idea of a scented candle and setting a mood, try a safer alternative: wax warmers! There are options called candle warmers that simply work like hot plates to warm the wax of a candle to release the scent without a flame. Other fragrance warmers are vessels meant for wax melts you buy separately that heat them with the use an electric light. Oh, and they glow like candles. 😍
Guess who's a big fan of wax warmers? Ree Drummond herself. Not only does she have her own line of wax melts and warmers, but she also makes her own wax melts at home. That's right! It's a great way of using the leftover wax at the bottom of your favorite candle, so nothing goes to waste.
Simmer Stovetop Potpourri
Of course, you could just throw some mulled cider on the stove and let that perfume the air! But you don't have to consume what's wafting on the stove if you simply make a simmer pot. Making stovetop potpourri is easy and since hot air rises, it will easily travel into most rooms of your house without much effort. Of course, please don't leave the house without shutting off the stove first!
Try an Essential Oil Diffuser
The great thing about essential oils is that they're so concentrated that a little bit goes a long way. With an essential oil diffuser, all you have to do is add water and a few drops of whatever fragrance you like best, and then sit back and enjoy a refreshing mist. Essential oils not only smell good, but they also create a soothing, calm atmosphere.
Make Your Own Household Cleaners
Speaking of essential oils, did you know you can make your own household cleaner with them? Yep! Rather than harsh chemicals that smell clean but not necessarily nice, so many of the best homemade cleaners use either essential oils or natural scents like lemon to refresh your space. That also means you're cleaning with non-toxic ingredients that are safer for you, your family, and your pets.
Add a Bouquet to Your Bath
Yes, bathroom plants are a thing. Not only do they add some lively greenery to your space, but the steam and humidity from your shower or bath will help activate their natural scents. You can take that concept a step further and attach a bath bouquet to your shower head. It's as easy as tying a bunch of eucalyptus and letting the steam release the essential oils out of the leaves. It looks pretty, too!
Clean Your Carpets
Yes, we're back to the cleaning thing again. But honestly, if you have carpeted floors or large area rugs, you should know that they act like scent sponges. That's bad when you're talking about smelly odors from pets and general everyday activities. But it also means that's good if you want to add a scent while you're cleaning. You can make your own carpet cleaners or purchase store-bought carpet freshener if you like a stronger scent. The best carpet cleaners typically come with scented solutions that both clean and deodorize areas.
When it comes to a bedroom makeover, there's nothing quite like a fresh coat of paint! But with so many pretty hues out there to choose from, selecting one that you'll want to look at every day for the foreseeable future may feel like half the battle. To help you make your decision, we spoke to experts from the nation's leading paint companies and got recommendations for the best bedroom paint colors of 2024.
"Our bedrooms should be our sanctuaries," says Emily Kantz, color marketing manager for Sherwin-Williams. "It's the space where we go to rest after every long day, so finding the perfect paint color is an important choice. Since we know colors can trigger emotions, we want to make sure we’re using shades that will evoke calmness."
Ahead, you'll find plenty of options for creating your own soothing bedroom sanctuary, from warm neutrals to cool colors to hues drawn from nature. You'll also find some bolder but still grounding colors such as navy blue and violet.
"Color is subjective and the perfect way to personalize a space," says Arianna Barone, a color marketing manager at Benjamin Moore. "Although each color on this list is unique, they all have a sense of tranquility and ease. Blues and greens are synonymous with calm and relaxation, which are words people often use when describing the feeling they are trying to convey in that space. Neutrals also conjure up thoughts of warmth and respite. They pair beautifully with layered textures and soft surfaces. More playful pink hues have a flattering glow and can bring a bubbly start to your day."
No matter which vibe you're after, there's a color here for you, so start browsing and get your paint rollers ready!
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