There are myriad ways to zhoosh up your living space—flooring, lacquering, wallpapering—but, for most people, the costs often outweigh the benefits. Enter scent décor. We recently caught up with interior designer Nate Berkus, who was promoting his new line of air, home, and fabric care products called Unstopables to ask him exactly what that tantalizing term means.
As it turns out, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: The scent that wafts through a room. “It’s that one final layer on the interior,” Berkus tells InStyle. Here are three of his tips to consider when executing a scent makeover of your own:
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1. Think about the scents that make you happy, then bring them home. If the smell of lavender reminds you of a garden, or the fresh woodsy scent of rosemary calls to mind your favorite perfume, then you definitely need that fragrance in your life. A sweet-smelling candle is an easy way to attain it. “We spend so much time making decisions about design in our homes, but very few people stop to realize that the first thing people notice is how it smells,” says Berkus. And even more importantly, it’s what greets you when you walk through the door each day.
2. Spring for fresh flowers, and embrace the cheapies. “I’m a big proponent of taking a juice glass and putting six roses from the corner deli next to your sink,” says Berkus. “If that’s what you see when you’re brushing your teeth in the morning, it makes your day a lot nicer.”
2. Don’t be afraid to mix scents to suit your preferences. Berkus combines “Lush,” a vanilla scent from the line, and “Shimmer,” which has a fruity aroma. (Vanilla and citrus tend to work well together, as does spice and floral). “Our homes really should tell our stories and reflect what we like,” he says. “It’s a huge sensory element that brings you one step closer to creating a space that you want.”
Shop the entire Unstopables collection now at unstopables.com.
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