Bringing In The Smells Of Fall

It’s finally here and now your home can smell like it! 

Summer took forever didn’t it? Thankfully fall is finally here and that means cooler temperatures are coming! While we’re waiting for said cooler temps though,  it might help if we make our homes smell like fall. It’ll keep us happy while waiting for the weather to catch up at least. After all, smell is a human’s most powerful sense. 

Rather than layering new smells over the old, let’s take a moment to clean up. New smells will eventually fade and then you’ll be left with the ones you were trying to disguise. 

Getting Rid of the Bad 

Rather than starting with the most obvious point, the kitchen, let’s go elsewhere.  

Have you checked the humidity levels in your home? While yes, we live in Texas, your home can still trap moisture, whether that’s from showers, cooking or even plants. Go through your home with a hygrometer to measure the humidity. For any rooms that feel damp or where the walls are noticeably damp to the touch, consider using a dehumidifier.  

What about wall-to-wall carpets? Not only is this trend in kitchens and bathrooms outdated, it can rap smells and moisture. A runner or strategically placed carpets can be great alternatives. Wall-to-wall is asking for trouble in these spots though. Start by laying down a layer of powder deodorizer and vacuuming that up. Then, if you want to make a change down the road you can put in hardwood or tile and some rugs. 

Lets move around the rest of the house even as we continue to look at soft surfaces. Couches, beds, linens and curtains. All are areas that trap smells. 

Wash what you can and spray what you can’t with a deodorizing spray. We’re going to suggest one with a neutral smell rather than a scent, this way you don’t overwhelm your nose later. 

Finally let’s move on to most obvious sources of bad smells. 

Garbage cans, diaper pails, litter boxes and pet beds and finally your garbage disposal. 

Empty them, scrub them, run vinegar through the disposal, and put a packet of silica gel at the bottom to absorb moisture and odor. 

Lie back and bask in the clean and neutral scent of your home! You’ve done the hard stuff, now let’s get to the fun part. 

… To Layer In The Good

Let’s start by opening up the windows. While this isn’t always possible during the day (we know we need our AC still,) if you can open them just an inch at night, you’ll get lots of benefits. Not only will you get a great  cross-breeze to cool your home, you’ll also bring in scents that will last most of the day. 

Some examples we’ve smelt in our neighborhood at this time of year include: 

-Woodsmoke

- Leaves

- Wind 

Those last two might sound very vague, but there’s a difference in them that only happens during fall. It’s an undefinable scent that if you know it, you’ll always pick up on it. 

From here let’s move on to building the scent of your home. We’ll start with a spray that you can use on your soft surfaces. 

If you have a specific scent that you love, why not carefully mist it throughout? (We say carefully because you want the smell to be pleasant and light, not ‘punch in the face’ overwhelming.)  This recipe can be scaled up or down, depending on how much area you have to cover. 

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup rubbing alcohol

1 tsp cornstarch

20 drops  of your favorite essential oil or blend. 

Note: Make sure to shake well before each use and test on a small area before spraying the full surface. 

Stove Top Potpourri 

Next up is a staple in the north, simmer pots. A simmer pot is a small pot of water that you put to low heat (hence ‘simmer’) with your own blend of spices or dried fruits mixed into the water. They’re a great way to bring a fantastic warmth to your home. You can leave them gently bubbling on the stove or even a radiator all day to release the spicy scent. Just make sure to check on it occasionally to top up the water. Burning a pot is not great for your stove. If that’s something you worry about, you can make use of a crockpot instead. 

Last stop, pull out the candles. 

So you have your base notes for your home, that's the light spray on your soft surfaces. Base notes bring depth to a scent, and in the case of your home these are the ones that are there all the time. You’ve got your mid notes, as the simmer pot, these are the ones that are warm and comforting. Now let's bring in the top notes, that bring spice and pop to your home with candles and scent diffusers. These are the ones that aren’t going to be there all the time and if you use too many you can overwhelm your home and your senses. 

Candles should be used sparingly, unless they’ve got a light scent,  in which case, have fun and enjoy the sparkle. 

When it comes to recipes for your simmer pot or using the essential oils, Pinterest is your friend. We’ve included our favorite recipes for each at t6he bottom that you can use as a starting point. 

Put all together you’ll have created a custom scent that’s unique to your home and creates a truly inviting and relaxing retreat away from the world. Are you excited for fall? Can you tell that we are? What is your favorite scent or mix of essential oils? Tell us down in the comments below or over on our Facebook, we’d love to try out some of your suggestions.  

If you need help with your stove, or any of your other major appliances, we’re here to help. 

Simmer Pot Recipe: 

6 whole cloves

6 star anise 

1 sliced apple

½ cup cranberries 

2 sticks of cinnamon 

 

Woodland Romp :

Use this for your spray or in a diffuser around your home. 

12 drops cypress

6 drops white fir

6 drops sandalwood

2020 Design Trends: Big or Bust?

How did the predictions hold up?

Every year interior designers predict what will be popular in the coming year. We thought it would be more interesting to see how this year’s trends were holding up. Although dozens of trends are suggested every year, we selected 9. We’ve taken a look at different ways to see how a trend is doing and sorted them accordingly.  

Rattan & Wicker Indoor Furniture

While these have been an outdoor staple for years, they’re moving indoor. Sadly, we only see this trend, hanging on for another year or so. It’s already proliferated through many different catalogs and big box stores. That is usually the dying knell for a trend. 

Birds and Botanicals 

The beautiful plumage of birds or the old school illustrations of plants of all types that’s what is ‘all the rage’ according to designers for 2020. Both are making a boom (and often together) from wall art, to fabrics and wallpapers. Although this one scored the same as the rattan and wicker furniture, we’re torn. On one hand, it’s already spread everywhere. You can find it across multiple industries, and price points, which are major signs that a trend is going to die. On the other hand, there’s enough variety in the concept of ‘birds and botanicals that it could easily continue for ages. 

Daybeds

Although there isn’t much difference between a daybed and a normal bed, other than the frame, this is a trend. More people are making their guest rooms serve multiple purposes as offices, but still need a bed or seating, just in case. Although daybeds have been found in many big box stores, we haven’t seen them at a variety of price points, nor have they ended up in discount stores yet.  We expect this trend to continue for another two years. We look forward to seeing how the different makers will differentiate themselves and their designs. 

Gallery Wall TV

When we saw this suggestion at the end of last year we were shocked. Gallery walls have been a thing for years! How had we not thought to frame our TVs as part of that? Given how seamlessly this can slip into part of your existing decor, we expect this trend to be around for several years. At least until we switch to fully holographic entertainment anyway. 

Orangeries

Raise your hand if you saw orangeries becoming a thing again. We certainly didn’t. But as of this year, perhaps because of Covid-19, perhaps because of other factors, growing citrus trees indoors has become very popular again. It’s hard to see how this one will work as a trend in terms of sales, unless we start seeing a large number of kits or fake plants. We think this one will stick around for another few years, but only those with a green thumb will keep it beyond that. Citrus plants are finicky after all. 

Layered Patterns 

For years you were told to try and match one pattern throughout a room or even your house. As of 2020 we are free though! Finally people are realizing it’s much more fun to layer patterns that work well or compliment one another into a room. Much like orangeries, this one goes beyond just selling an individual item the way some of our other trends have. It’s a matter of personal taste, mixing and matching, and we think it going to result in a greater number of thrift store finds as well.  This one could go either way. However after how long neutrals and all white rooms survived, we think it will be a long while before people give up this trend. 

Mending 

Photo courtesy of Carson Downing

This one is a continuation of the hand crafting trend that has been building for the last decade. While it is also prevalent in clothes at the moment , we still think it’s going to stick around. The idea is that instead of throwing a piece of decor, or furniture out because it's torn or damaged somehow, you repair it. Not simply to return it to its former state, but to bring beauty to it on an entirely new level. The ideas and art of Japanese sashiko and kintsukuroi are both prominent here. We expect to see a lot of this as time goes forward. 

Bold Colors Throughout 

With Pantone’s color of the year being navy, we feel comfortable saying bold colors are taking over our homes. Whether you’re choosing to do it with textiles, paint or furniture, we expect this trend to stick for a very long time. After all,  many people are spending more time inside their homes right now and are tired of the neutrals, greys and dusty colors of the past 5 years. 

Curved Furniture 

From couches to chairs, tables to mirrors, the more curved and organic shapes are in this year. Out of all the trends we looked at, this is the one we feel is barely in its infancy, but is indeed going to stay. 

What do you think? Did we get these wrong? Are they going to hang on for longer than we thought? Or do you think these trends will die with the end of 2020?  Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you. 

Don’t forget that if you have any trouble with your appliances, we are happy to help. We want to help keep your home running in tip top shape. Whether that’s a repair or a  maintenance check up, all you need is to set an appointment over on our page.