Why ‘scent-scaping’ is about to be everywhere: The stylish home fragrance trend shoppers can’t get enough of

The finishing touch to a beautifully styled room might be something you can’t actually see.

We spend hours choosing the right sofa, agonising over paint colours and finding the perfect coffee-table object, yet scent can have just as much influence over how a space feels.

Now, a growing interiors trend known as “scent-scaping” is encouraging us to think about fragrance as another layer of home design.

The concept, recently explored by Vogue, involves intentionally using different scents to shape the mood and atmosphere of a room.

Publications including Architectural Digest and Homes & Gardens have also explored the growing intersection between fragrance, interiors and wellness.

And it makes sense. A beautiful room can look perfect, but there is something memorable about walking through the front door and being greeted by a scent that instantly makes the space feel like home.

A 2021 survey of 2,000 consumers conducted by independent research firm Ask Your Target Market found that more than half of respondents said having a home that smells good made them feel relaxed , accomplished, confident and more organised.

That suggests fragrance is moving beyond its traditional role of simply masking unwanted smells. Instead, scent can become part of the ritual of being at home.

The question is no longer simply, “What smells good?” It is becoming, “How do I want this room to feel?”

Consumer research commissioned by Scentsy found that 75 per cent of respondents believed the way a home smells reflects the person who lives there, while the same proportion believed scent can leave a lasting impression on visitors.

It is easy to understand why. Just as we gravitate towards certain colours, textures and decorating styles, we tend to develop favourite fragrances that we return to again and again.

For Australian aromatherapy brand ECO. Modern Essentials, that shift is also changing the way people think about the products they use to fragrance their homes.

Diffusers have traditionally been viewed as functional wellness products, often tucked away on a bedside table or bathroom shelf. But increasingly, they are being designed to earn their place alongside the books, lamps and decorative objects already taking up valuable real estate on the coffee table.

ECO. Modern Essentials has been tapping into that shift with its range of diffusers, designed to pair aromatherapy with considered interiors.