Now Reading: Using scent in interior design evokes memory of home
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Using scent in interior design evokes memory of home
A growing number of interior designers are urging homeowners to consciously integrate scent into their living spaces, arguing that fragrance is the most overlooked sense in home design. Memories of home are…
The Story in Brief
A growing number of interior designers are urging homeowners to consciously integrate scent into their living spaces, arguing that fragrance is the most overlooked sense in home design. Memories of home are often triggered by smells, filter coffee, incense, wet earth after rain, not by visual details. Indian households have long used incense, camphor, spices, and flowers to create a sense of belonging, but modern homes increasingly rely on artificial fragrances, risking a loss of emotional resonance.
Designers say the experience of a room depends more on how it smells than on expensive furniture. They suggest using natural materials, morning light, and fresh flowers instead of aerosol sprays. The question, they add, is what smell will remind today's children of home years from now.
The Indian Opinion
This piece romanticises natural home fragrances while stereotyping artificial scents as sterile and charmless. The reality is more complicated: many Indian homes rely on mosquito repellents, air purifiers, and subtle plug-ins out of necessity, not a loss of tradition. The real test is not whether a smell is natural or synthetic, but whether the space feels lived-in. Instead of pitting an imagined past against an artificial present, the debate should focus on ventilation, moisture control, and material choices that let a home breathe on its own terms.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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