The smell of a chlorinated pool, or a musty farmhouse are aromas particularly close to my heart. Every time I smell those things I imagine ice cream cones after a swim meet, or feeling cozy and cared for in one of my favourite homes.
Scent has a strong tie to memory. Harvard professor Venkatesh Murthy has studied this link in terrestrial (vs. marine) mammals, like humans.* Scent is becoming increasingly used in the world of branding, but we also believe it's a powerful part of creating a home. To our scent designer and business owner, Emily, the feeling of home is something everyone deserves. Growing up, she saw and felt the difference between homes that were cared for and ones that weren’t. Emily soon became obsessed with the idea of creating the feeling home, both for herself and others. Check out her masters thesis here, there are some pretty pictures. Her early career work in architecture was focused strongly on the visual. A few years in she had the desire to expand beyond image and leaned toward exploring the other senses that make a home—particularly scent.