How to Make Your House Smell Good: Everything You Need

How to Make Your House Smell Nice: Everything You Need

Compiled by Vice Media

First impressions are about more than looking good and acting like a fine young gentleman (or gentlewoman or gentleman). Things must smell nice, mate. Of course, your (hopefully adorable) body aroma is number one when it comes to passing the smell test, but your living space is at least as important. You know that laundry detergent ad? sigh and smell you get when you walk into a hotel lobby that smells faintly of geranium, or that “hellllllll yeah” feeling you get when you walk into a house where someone has obviously baked one GGBO-worthy portion of scones? We want you to have that, but with minimal fuss.

Say what you want about overpriced products meme-worthy scents, you will be much closer to intercourse if your apartment smells like the nearest Le Labo retail store. Don’t worry, we’ve found everything you need to make your house smell great. Candles, room spray, diffusers – yes, the gang is all there. Read on and take in the scent.

dripping wax

It’s not rocket science to keep things smelling fresh in your home. Sometimes you only need the most important thing: a good-smelling candle. (You can’t go wrong with the smell of French Roast, and who doesn’t love the roasty, soothing scent of a coffee shop? Anecdote’s Coffee Break candle is perfect for mimicking the Central Perk aura friends.


$26 at Anecdote candles

Diptyque’s ’34 Boulevard Saint Germain’ is a walk through Paris in autumn for your nasal passages, with its notes of woody moss and crushed blackcurrant leaves pumped up with an enhanced autumn spiciness. There is also a matching diffuser and room spray. Sorry, pumpkin spice.


$115 at diptyque

However, if you’re firmly immersed in the cult of pumpkin spice, Glade’s Pumpkin Spice Candle (not to mention the massive selection of scents) embodies bang-for-your-buck potential. The scent is strong and will fill your room with spooky joy. Not to mention it’s more affordable AF???


$8.99 at Amazon


$18.99 at Amazon


$18.96 at Amazon

And of course, having a sexy-scented massage candle on your bedside table can really help improve the ambiance in more ways than one. Grab this candle from Maude to set the ~*~mood~*~.


$30 at maude

Perfume for your sexy dungeon

Air freshener is hit or miss. Sometimes it lasts for hours, while other times the scent fades faster than a left swipe on Tinder. But we found them awesome stuff. Nest is a pioneer in home fragrance and the reviews prove it. Rated 4.4 stars on their website, the Wild Mint and Eucalyptus room and laundry spray gets plaudits for its fresh, relaxing aroma. “Soft, subtle scent, slightly energizing and very ‘spa’ like,” wrote one reviewer.


$28 at Nest New York

In addition to premium silk bedding, sheets, robes and eye masks, Brooklinen also makes room sprays. The uplifting Bright Idea fragrance lights up our noggin bulbs with its notes of cardamom, germanium and vetiver. Happy hour, with its infusion of tangerine, lavender, and oak, makes us want to wait an hour in line at Le Bain.


$35 at Brooklinen


$35 at Brooklinen

Getting rid of negative energy with… potpourri?

Hear us — potpourri isn’t just found in the merchandise bins of strip mall hardware stores; Your grandma knows what she’s doing when she puts out a bowl of that magically scented stuff. These crystals aren’t just for charging under the moon or whatever; they are ~scented~. Transform your body’s aura (lol), make things smell good, and banish all the bad vibes in your home with this box of healing energy from Anthropologie. The crystals are infused with woody, musky notes of crisp fig leaf, sweet cassis, fig milk and white cyclamen leaves. They are self-sculpted with “love and craftsmanship” by local French artisans. May we say potpourr-oui? (Don’t worry, we’ll show ourselves).


$80$64 at anthropology

Potpourri may be associated with old ladies, but we’ll happily channel wholesome granny vibes with a regular, old-fashioned bag of potpourri. We’ve found cooler editions than the ones you stumble upon at Home Goods, like this “Dragon’s Blood” bag, featuring a potent blend of Cedarwood, Orange, Clove, and Patchouli essential oils.


$15.99 at Etsy

There is nothing wrong with fragrant pine cones

It’s the 21st century my friend; If someone calls you a soft boi for keeping a bowl of fragrant pine cones on your coffee table, it’s them who’s in trouble, not you. They’re festive, nature, and smells good as hell. Check out these cinnamon and berry variations.


$11.99 at Amazon


$24.95 at Williams Sonoma


$24.95 at Williams Sonoma

Lost in the reeds

If you’ve noticed a small vase full of sticks in a nice-smelling bathroom and were wondering, uhhh, what the whole setup is, those are diffuser sticks, dummy — they suck up scented oils from the bottom of the vessel and slowly diffuse it with the time into the indoor air, and they’re a great way to make your home smell great. The Sea Salt Grapefruit Reed Diffuser from Apotheke radiates spicy, ripe grapefruit, black pepper, sea salt and tarragon into your beautiful apartment. Getting rid of the endless feeling that the world around us is slowly collapsing… well, you have to work that out in your spare time.


$54 at pharmacy

This white linen scent from Amazon is also great because of its very affordable price. It has earned a four-star rating from over 3,700 customer reviews, which claim the scent *gasp* actually lingers and leaves your home smelling like fresh laundry (washed with expensive detergent). Looks like you can’t beat a classic.


$23.99 at Amazon

If you’ve made it this far, you know you’re now well-equipped to make your home smell amazing (just remember to take a shower, please).


The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the items featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations and hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.

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