Design in the service of home fragrance
When aesthetics enhance the olfactory experience
The art of fragrancing your home is no longer limited to simply diffusing scents. Today, designer decorative objects (candles, reed diffusers, fragrance diffusers...) integrate harmoniously into our living spaces. In fact, they have become centerpieces of interior design, elevating both the aesthetic and the sensory experience.
Many artists and designers have explored the alliance between design and olfaction through exhibitions and creations. For example, the "Breating Art" (Respirer l’Art) exhibition highlighted the place of perfume in contemporary art. Some artists there evoked the sensuality and fluidity of perfume through glass creations. The works were exhibited at the International Perfume Museum in Grasse.
Similarly, in London, the association AVM Curiosities has proposed several exhibitions:
- Scenterpiece, conceived by British designer Tasha Marks, is a multisensory installation that aims to be both a visual and olfactory feast, embodying the art of hosting and the spectacle of eating and enjoying.
- Medieval Women, highlights women in the Middle Ages. For the occasion, the museum created fragrances inspired by a hair perfume, a manuscript from the era, and a comb. Moreover, 3D vessels were specially designed to house and showcase these perfumes.
Design in interior decoration: a vector of emotion and harmony
Shapes and materials serving well-being
Interior design is much more than just a matter of aesthetics. It influences our sensations and our perception of space. Current trends highlight soft and organic shapes. Consequently, we are finding them more and more in designer interior candles or artistic diffusers. For example, for the Iconic Color collection, the beveled and rounded shapes were designed to be at the heart of trends and to bring softness and fluidity. The pedestal, for its part, showcases the perfumer's craftsmanship. Furthermore, noble materials such as glass and ceramic enhance our signature scents.
Roundness brings a feeling of welcome and serenity, fostering a soft and enveloping atmosphere. This organic approach to design in decoration recalls the historical use of ceramics at Estéban Paris Parfums. 40 years ago, our brand introduced the art of perfuming ceramic objects. Even today, this tradition lives on. This is how the sensory experience is complete: the form and the material amplify the diffusion of the fragrances.
Color your life with Iconic Color
The result of a collaboration between Estéban Paris Parfums and designer Tristan Lohner, this collection reinvents classic design codes with a contemporary approach. Each object, whether it be a candle or a reed diffuser, has been conceived as a true sensory sculpture, where material and color play a primordial role.
Tristan Lohner, a famous designer trained at the Arts Décoratifs in Paris, awarded for many projects by the Étoile du Design or the Red Dot Design, is also deputy director of the RBC group. A defender of accessible design, he is inspired by the purity of forms and the intimate relationship between the object and its user. The added value of this collection is to bring a product design process to objects that are very well known in their functions.
The creation process began with in-depth research into the shapes and textures best suited to enhance the diffusion of scents. Inspired by current trends, Tristan Lohner focused on soft lines and noble materials such as glass and ceramic. Tinted glass, in particular, creates fascinating plays of transparency that magnify the flame of candles and the reeds of scented bouquets.
By offering refillable products, the ICONIC COLOR collection is also part of an CSR approach committed to nature. It is thus in phase with the expectations of interior decoration and home fragrance enthusiasts.
Likewise, glass is a noble and timeless material. It is also particularly prized for its elegance and its ability to play with light. This was notably the wish of the French designer Tristan Lohner: to highlight the reeds and the perfume through the opacity of the glass. Thanks to these plays of transparency, he enhances the fragrances while adding a refined touch to the interior decoration. Its use thus creates a harmonious balance between transparency, color, and luminous reflections.
Colors and scents: a subtle interaction
Colors influence our perception and our emotions. In Paris, The Grand Museum of Perfume illustrated this very well. Artists have explored the impact of hues on scents and olfactory design. For example, try blind-tasting a white wine, like a chardonnay, and a rosé wine. You will find it difficult to distinguish them! The appearance of the wine's color will influence your olfactory and gustatory perception.
A perfume enhanced by a designer case
A dialogue between perfume and design
The design of an object influences our olfactory perception. Indeed, a candle or a perfume diffuser carefully thought out, in terms of both materials and shapes, amplifies the sensory experience.
Certain luxury houses and art galleries have even offered collaborations where iconic works inspire unique perfumes. This is how art integrates into the olfactory sphere. This is notably the case of the Louvre Museum, which collaborated with the Officine Universelle Buly in 2019. 8 perfumes were created, for 8 iconic masterpieces. For example, The Venus de Milo was interpreted by Jean-Christophe Hérault (Maison IFF). Its perfume unites the intensity of mandarin and the delicacy of jasmine.
Also, in a more experimental vein, artist Sissel Tolaas, a perfume expert and researcher, has been working for years on olfactory memory by integrating specific scents into her interactive art works. Her projects explore the impact of smells on human emotions and behavior. This is the case, for example, of the Smell Memory Kit, an "amulet" to carry in one's bag or as a necklace or bracelet, which invites the reconstruction of memories through fragrances.
Collaborations between designers and perfume brands
The link between designers and perfumers (for home or personal use) continues to intensify, giving rise to prestigious collaborations. For example, Marc Newson collaborated with Louis Vuitton. Together, they created personal perfume bottles with an innovative design, merging luxury and minimalism.
In the same way, Philippe Starck has developed his own range of personal perfumes. He has explored the relationship between architecture and scents to design fragrances with complex and futuristic structures.
Also, the chic and glamorous collections of Jonathan Adler, a great name in the world of interior design, are tinged with eclectic references: pop, artistic, and historical. They include candles and scented bouquets. They illustrate how design can reinforce the olfactory experience by playing on proportions and textures.
Aesthetics and fragrance unite in unique creations, where material, form, and light play an essential role. Opting for scented objects with a refined design means choosing an elegant and immersive ambiance, where every detail counts to transform the space into a true olfactory and visual cocoon.
Sources:
- https://www.journalduluxe.fr/fr/beaute/l-officine-universelle-buly-collabore-avec-le-musee-du-louvre
- https://www.avmcuriosities.com/medieval-women
- https://www.avmcuriosities.com/scenterpiece
- https://supersense.com/smell-memory-kit/
- https://fr.louisvuitton.com/fra-fr/histoires/flacon-dexception
- https://www.starck.fr/starck-paris-p3325
- https://jonathanadler.com/
- https://www.laculturebyrogers.com/post/odeurs-art
- https://www.museesdegrasse.com/evenement/respirer-alart-quand-lart-contemporain-sublime-lunivers-du-parfum
- https://www.design-obsession.fr/parfum-design/
- https://www.instagram.com/grandmuseeduparfum/?hl=fr
