Sanctuary

Hotels, safe houses, and long flights mean that I am rarely in the same place for long, which is why my home is my sanctuary. It is my calm, comforting, and relaxing place.

When I turn the key and open the door, I want to see, feel, and smell things that make me feel at home. In the same way that when you get out of your taxi in Marrakesh, you know you’re in Marrakesh, you should also have a distinct feeling when you arrive home. With this in mind, I will focus on scent.

Scent is extremely important when building or maintaining your sanctuary. When you arrive home it’ll either hit you in the nose like a covert operative hiding behind the door or it will waft around you and cover you like silk Hermés scarf . What you choose for your sanctuary is entirely at your descretion, but it is important to think about location and atmosphere.

Foyer

The entrance is your introduction, it is your first page, it is your first note, therefore it needs to set the tone. Subtle yet noticeable, normal yet unique. I prefer to use a diffuser because it releases overtime and requires less maintenance than a candle. Currently, I am using a Fragrance Tag from LA Bruket. LA Bruket is a company from the west coast of Sweden that has some great calming and natural scents that allow you to set the fragrance in your sanctuary. Do you want a tough tobacco scent in your library? A scintilizing citrus scent in your foyer? They have you covered.

I have chosen the Hinoki fragrance. Hinoki is a type of Cypress tree that is native to Japan. This particular scent is perfect for my sanctuary as it is a calming and sophisticated fragrance with woodsy and nutmeg notes that define what my sanctuary should be.

Parlour

If the foyer is your first note, the parlor is your refrain. It is what your sancutary’s song revolves around, it is the hook to keep people coming back for more. I typically use a candle in the parlour as I have more control over the strength of the scent. At the moment I am using a reed diffuser with the same scent in the parlour. It is a great continuation of the first note…letting the calming sweet song of relaxation continue.

Bed Chamber

It is where the song ends, it is the final note. How I sleep is of the utmost importance so I can operate at full speed the next day. Candles are the preferred vessel for the bed chamber because once again I have control. I can light it when I start reading my new assignment and by the time I am finished I can blow out the candle and sleep. Of course, the medium is not as important as the scent, and that is why you must pick the scent that fits you best, find your final note. Since the fragrance tag is quite strong and close to my bed chamber I do not need anything additional at the moment, but will keep you posted if that changes.

I hope that you feel inspired to compose and maintain your own sanctuary. I look forward to the next time I am back in my own Hinoki Sanctuary.

-L.S.