What memories are your strongest? Which are the ones that make you happiest when you recall them? Chances are, the things that you remember most clearly are not just something in your mind’s eye, but ones that bring in all of your senses– smell, sound, taste, touch, and sight. David Monn, known as the uber event planner behind some of the most jaw-dropping soirees of all time, puts scent front and center of anything he designs.
Scent can transport, change a mood, create a feeling. So what’s going on in your house when it comes to smells?
WHAT’S THAT ODOR? This is the worst. You walk in and there’s a distinct SMELL. The most architecturally opulent home we ever owned had the oddest (read: offensive) smell that I couldn’t get rid of no matter what I did. Candles, diffusers, and incense are not the answer. This kind of problem calls for the big guns– exterminators, vents and systems cleaned, and someone who has the time and patience to track the problem to its source.
- ONE HOME, ONE SCENT. I love getting a compliment on the scent I am wearing. I only wear one, so there’s never any fear of competing smells in my closet. Take the same approach with your home, and find a signature scent. My favorites are Kenneth Turner Signature and Rigaud Cypress for the holiday season. And you can never go wrong with Jo Malone, Diptyque or Le Labo.
- THE POWER OF SMELL. Don’t leave scent as an afterthought. David Monn leaves nothing to chance, saying, “From the scent of a single gardenia to the first sound a guest takes in, each detail is chosen to create a tapestry of sensations.” You don’t need to hosting a formal event to take the same approach to daily life.
- THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CLEANLINESS. Really. Don’t think we need to say more on this one.
- MORE FOREST, LESS FRUITY. If having a live tree in your home is part of your holiday traditions, take a page out of the heady sensation you get every time you walk through your front door during the season. There’s something about the foresty, earthy tones, rather than the fruity, that clears the head and so much more.
My favorite shops for candles in the Greenwich area? Greenwich Pharmacy on Greenwich Avenue, Saks Fifth Avenue on Greenwich Avenue, GDV on Lewis St, and Hoaglands on Greenwich Avenue.
