How To Craft An Inviting Scent In Your Entryway

Your entryway is a guest's first impression of your home. Before they see your carefully curated collections, before they see your show-stopping kitchen or enjoy the plush furniture you've picked out, they see — and smell — your entryway. As a result, to help make a positive impression, it's important to consider all of your guest's senses, which means going beyond appearances to crafting an inviting scent that will have any visitors taking a second whiff. Fortunately, there are various ways to add fragrance to your entryway and build a scent that's uniquely tailored to your home.

The first step to creating a space that smells good is to eliminate undesirable odors from your entryway for a clean, neutral starting place. Otherwise, all your pleasant aromas will go to covering up odors rather than stealing the sensory show. Once you've taken the steps to remove these odors, such as choosing the right storage for your shoes, you can start choosing fragrance sources.

Ways to add fragrance to your entryway include DIY room sprays, candles, and diffusers. And just as there is a range of scent sources to choose from, there is an abundant number of fragrance notes and profiles that can play a role in how your entryway smells to others. Part of the fun of crafting an inviting scent for your entryway is experimenting, so don't hesitate to mix and match both scents and sources for a pleasant aroma unique to you.

There are two main steps needed when it comes to making your entryway smell pleasant. First, decide how you want your entryway to smell by choosing a scent category. Then you'll need to decide exactly how you're going to achieve that scent.

The right scent for your entryway can depend on the impression you wish to make, the scents in the rest of your home, and your own personal preference. Citrus-based scents smell clean, refreshing, and energizing, while richer scents like lavender create a mellow atmosphere. You can also experiment with scent blends as well, such as lavender and cedar or lemon and sandalwood, which can mesh well together to create a complex, layered scent. As with other areas in your home, you'll want to avoid any strongly astringent or otherwise overpowering smells that may have the opposite intended effect on you and your guests. Some scents, like florals and powders, can add a nice highlight but may be cloying in abundance.

After you've decided how you want the entryway to smell, you'll need to pick a fragrance source. When used carefully, candles can provide fragrance as well as ambient lighting, but it can take time for the scent to become noticeable. Diffusers can be a bit pricier but offer a natural way to scent your home through essential oils. You can also make a DIY air freshener using essential oils, distilled water, and witch hazel. Each fragrance source has its own pros and cons, so consider what's best for your entryway.