(ARA) - Scent-mosphere?! You won’t find it in the dictionary, but it’s a hot home decorating trend that’s all about styling your home with an eye (or nose) for all your senses, from the touch of fabrics, to the color of the wall to the acoustics of hardwood floors.  

As the name “scent-mosphere” implies -- this trend actually starts by following your nose in styling your home with fragrance. Why start there? Well, in research by Dr. Alan Hirsch, M.D., “Smells are one of the quickest ways to change mood and emotion.” They’re also one of the first things you notice about a room even before you enter it.

“Fragrance can be a springboard for an entire room’s style,” says design guru, author and HGTV personality Susie Coelho. “Colors, textures, and style will flow from the feelings and the images that a specific fragrance conjures up.”

“Our olfactory sense (the sense of smell) is so powerful. It’s intimately-linked to the brain’s emotion and memory functions, and it’s why scents can have such a strong impact on your state of mind and emotional well-being,” according to Rick Ruffolo, senior vice president of brand, marketing, and innovation at Yankee Candle Company.  

Over the last 2 to 3 years, the use of fragrances in public gathering areas including hotels such as the Westin and stores such as Apple or the Body Shop further reinforce the subtle, yet powerful influence scent has on people’s attitudes.

Ruffolo explains, “Take Yankee Candle’s classic Clean Cotton scent, for instance. It might transport you back to a time when your mom would dry sheets on the line in the backyard on a bright spring day. So, now your mind subconsciously pictures blue skies, green grass, white sheets, pretty flowers … and, then, suddenly you have a room décor theme that’s perfect for the season.”

So, starting with fragrance just makes sense (or “scents”).  

We asked Rick Ruffolo for his recommendations on seasonal fragrance selections:

For spring -- Ruffolo recommends light floral scents such as Yankee Candle’s Lilac Blossoms or Sweet Honeysuckle fragrances, or to focus on “fresh, open-window” fragrances such as Clean Cotton, Country Linen, or Lemon Lavender.

During the late spring and into summer -- fruits are the best choice. “Fruits provide such a great palette of fragrance choices from which to choose … from orchard fruits such as Macintosh Apple, to citrus fruits such as Juicy Orange and Sparkling Lemon, to tropical fruits such as Pineapple Gardenia, Canary Island Banana, or Brazilian Passion Fruit, … as well as classic berry fragrances such as Sweet Strawberry, Black Raspberry, or New Zealand Wild Berry.”

“Fall is a virtual cornucopia of fragrance choice mainly focused on foods and spices,” Ruffolo adds. “Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon, Farmhouse Apple, and Harvest are a few that come to mind.”

“The Christmas season is where fragrance and emotion come together like no other time of year. Certain classic fragrances such as Christmas Cookie, Home for the Holidays, Mistletoe, Christmas Wreath, and Balsam & Cedar all evoke special memories of holiday traditions, and are a great way to create a welcoming environment in your home.”  

“Once you’ve selected the fragrance,” Ruffolo shares, “the form is the next important consideration. Lighting candles are the preferred choice since they combine color, light, and great fragrance experience in one product. Additionally, an electric home fragrance outlet plug unit is ideal for maintaining the scent in any room 24/7. Other choices which have a decorative twist include Reed Diffusers and Yankee Candle’s concentrated home fragrance oils. Your particular combinations will depend on the size of the room and how much fragrance you want at any given time.”

Wow! It all makes perfect sense (there’s that pun, again). Creating the perfect scent-mosphere for each room adds a whole new multi-sensory experience to your home, and is an easy, low-cost way to seasonalize your home throughout the year. Apparently, when it comes to styling with fragrance, your nose has the best eye for design.