If you happen to wander around a magazine editor’s home and are awed by an objet, there’s a chance said editor has upcycled it from either a fragrance bottle or a home one. While interior designers call it “scent-scaping”, we like to call it as it is: getting bang for our buck and beautifying our home at the same time.
Here, the ones made for curated vignettes or alluring shelfscapes.
Pictured Above: I know a creative director who fanatically collects Penhaligon’s animal-topped bottles to use as decoration for a chessboard and he’d be delighted to know that this one smells as handsome as it looks—smoky run, sensual leather, and a creamy blend of vanilla and sesame milk. Penhaligon’s The Omniscient Mister Thompson, shop it here.
Even if you’re not burning one of Aesop’s earthy and grounding sticks, its bronze incense holder makes for a sophisticated way to never misplace your keys, jewellery, and even stationary. Aesop Bronze Incense Holder, shop it here.
The problem with using fragrances as decoration is that the bottle runs clear once you’re done with the juice. Carolina Herrera’s latest rugged rebel stays electrifyingly blue like its scent—robust vetiver, sexy cedarwood, and earthy truffle—which makes it stand out on shelves when used as a bookend. Carolina Herrera Bad Boy Cobalt Eau De Parfum Électrique, shop it here.
When coming to the end of this old-world fragrance in both bottle design and juice (it surprisingly smells like lemon, rose, and bourbon), pop its cap open and pour some wax inside before inserting a mini candlestick. Now, marvel at your “vintage find” that you’ve sourced from one of your “intrepid journeys to the East”. Casamorati Regio, shop it here.
The French Maison recommends using their ceramics to delicately scent equally delicate fabrics but once they’re done doing so, they make for exquisite paperweights. Or if you’re feeling more practical, give them a new lease of olfactory life by dripping your favourite essential oils onto them. Diptyque Ceramic for Wool and Delicate Textiles with Cedarwood, shop it here.
Once you’re done with your spray-cation to Manhattan with its medley of tobacco (The New York Stock Exchange), patchouli (Greenwich Village), and vanilla (…Magnolia Bakery), turn this bottle into a miniature snow globe with a concoction of glue, water, and glitter. Roja Manhattan Eau De Parfum, shop it here.
Scenting a space with their very first fragrance that dates back 802 years —a classic citrus and lavender blend — with the traditional method of potpourri, this vessel from Santa Maria Novella which measures 13cm in height and 9.5 in width elevates any kind of bouquet arrangement. Yes, even if we shudder to say it, supermarket-bought ones. Santa Maria Novella Pot Pourri in Terracotta Jar, shop it here.
An artisanal objet brought back from the Orient or a non-descript way to subtly perfume a room? How about both? Serge Lutens Iconic Diffuser, shop it here.
The name tickles us so but its unglazed ceramic body that sits atop a satin-black wood stand guarantees aesthetic no matter which room it’s present in. This particular version diffuses ginger, clove, and jasmine which makes it quite the stylistic choice to perch upon a dining table to whet appetites. Trudon Abd El Kader The Diffuse Egg, shop it here.
Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our August 2023 issue!
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