Are you thinking about renovating your bathroom? Do you have some doubts about the style you want? Do you want it to look modern but glamorous at the same time? Well, read on and follow our simple advice on how to create the perfect ambiance in this area of your home. Home fragrances can play a part. Do not be afraid to mix and match materials. Why not choose different-sized tiles? Enhance the effect by going for contrasting finishes, too, maybe picking a matt for one wall and a gloss for the other. make a feature! Define the shower or bath area with dazzling tiles. Alternatively, line a wall with stunning wallpaper or paint it a striking shade. Dare to be bold! The fashion for sanitary ware may still be white , but other elements have moved in. Large dark-coloured tiles, gold brassware and patterned flooring are all in vogue. But do not go to all this trouble only to forget to make things a little bit more personal and homely feeling.
Scented Candles And Reed Diffusers Add A Personal Touch To Your Decor
Do not forget to include some more personal items, such as some freshly-cut flowers in a pretty glass vase or some lovely scented candles place on the window sill. There are lots of scented candles which are just perfect for use in the bathroom. You could choose the brightly coloured votives in Joya’s gift set and place these around the rim of your bath or even on a shelf. So many bathrooms these days are decorated in white, with predominantly white tiling as well as white bathroom suite. In that event, cool blues and greens work especially well – why not have a look at our vast selection from Yankee candles. We are sure you will find some inspiration there! Another great choice for the bathroom – if you do not want to leave scented candles burning unattended for a while – is a reed diffuser. One of our real favourites is the Wild Lime diffuser from True Grace.
We recently received a call from a gentleman who had received a present from one of his daughters in the form of a beautiful reed diffuser from True Grace. He was delighted with the gift – the only problem was, he didn’t know how to use it! We talked him through the process in just a few minutes and suggested he give the diffuser a few hours to really get to work. He phoned us back the next day raving about the diffuser, wanting to order a few himself as gifts for friends! It struck us then that quite a lot of people may find themselves in the same boat, so we thought we would come up with a quick guide on how to get the best from your diffuser. They are a great alternative to scented candles – or indeed can be used together with candles to give your home real fragrance. So here is what you need to do:
Open your diffuser set. In most instances there will be a bottle of aromatic oil, plus the rattan reeds themselves.
Open the bottle of oil. You can use this bottle or else decant its contents into another suitable bottle or container if you prefer.
Take a few reeds – six or seven is ideal, do not overcrowd the bottle. Dip the reeds into the bottle of oil – then immediately turn them over – so that the “wet” end of the reeds are expose to the air.
Essentially, that is all you need to do. The oil will be drawn up the reeds by the ambient temperature, before being dispersed through the air. Flip the reeds over from time to time – once a week is perfect – to ensure the reeds do not become clogged with oil or perhaps airborne dust. Avoid placing the diffuser in a draft or too near a radiator, but anywhere else is ideal. If you observe these few simple tips your diffuser should last you several months.
We recently received a call from a customer in a bit of a panic. She lived in an old Victorian period flat in the centre of town. She had guests coming over dinner that evening but she had begun to notice an unpleasant lingering odour which appeared to be coming fom her kitchen. On later investigation it turned out that it was being caused by a blockage in one of the downpipes which served the block of flats. Her immediate problem was how to get rid of the odour in time for her dinner guests arriving. Happily we were able to help. We quickly recommened a few home fragrances to take care of the problem. First we suggested she try one of the lovely Chef’s hat candles by Voluspa candles. These were specifically designed by Voluspa with cooking and the kitchen in mind and are a very elegant way to cover up cooking – or indeed any other – lingering odours. They come in a variety of beautiful fragrances including spice market – just perfect for Autumn, or a lovely invigorating lemon scent. Another terrific way to cover up any lingering odours is by using a reed diffuser. Reed diffuser work in a different way from scented candles. For one thing, you do not need to light them to make them work. Just uncork the bottle and place the reeds in to begin to diffuse the aroma. The great thing about a diffuser, as opposed to scented candles, is that once you have set it up it will continue to provide a subtle fragrance for as long as you require, making it the ideal way to combat any odours which may spring up from time to time. Anyway, because she lived locally, our customer was able to pop over and pick up some candles and a reed diffuser. She phoned the next day to let us know her dinner party had been a resounding success!
There are many simple inexpensive ways to freshen up the appearance of your kitchen. You could invest in one of the beautiful retro-style wall clocks inspired by French railway stations that are so popular these days. Or else you could pick up a collection of matching appliances, including kettles, toasters and even bread makers. If you choose a few items in matching styles and/or colours these will look good carefully placed along your worktops. But call us biased, but we think that the best possible accessory for the kitchen is a scented candle.
How To Use Scented Candles In The Kitchen
You can use scented candles in the kitchen in a number of different ways. You may want to light a candle to help cover up or disguise a lingering, unpleasant odour or even to help mask the smell of something strong that you have been cooking, such as perhaps a curry or other spicy aromatic foods. You can also use scented candles in the kitchen simply to create a welcoming, homely atmosphere. There are few things nicer than walking in to a kitchen to be greeted by the delicious smell of cooking, combined with the attractive glow of a number of lovely scented candles, like the beautiful self contained jar candles by True Grace candles. You can even pick up scented candles which are specifically designed to go with the smell of cooking!
Lastly, if your kitchen has a designated dining area, you can use scented candles to light up this part of the kitchen to make it more attractive for dinner guests. A great idea here is to use a number of tea lights or wax tarts such as the ones made by Yankee candles to create an attractive display.
One of the great things about scented candles these days is that they are often almost as good to look at as they are to smell – with the emphasis on almost! After all, there is no point having a beautiful looking candle if it smells of nothing. The result of this is that people often buy scented candles and then don’t light them, using them almost like an ornament. Now, at the end of the day you pay your money and what you do with your home fragrances is up to you, but to simply leave scented candles lying around the home unlit is a bit of a waste. You really need to light your candles to appreciate them to the fullest. One other problem about treating scented candles like ornaments is that – just like all other ornaments – they gather dust.
Choose Yankee Candles Or True Grace Candles For Easy Cleaning
One way of avoiding this problem is to go for jar candles, such as the ones made by companies like Voluspa candles, True Grace candles or Yankee candles. The beauty of these candles is that they have a small lid, usually made of brushed metal or glass, which you can use to keep the candle dust-free and clean when they are not being used.
But if your scented candles do not come with a lid what is the recommended way of cleaning them when they have accumulated a fine layer of dust and debris? You could always use a microfibre cloth, the kind which are invaluable for a host of domestic chores, but one novel way of dealing with this problem is to clean them off using an old pairt of nylon tights. This may strike you as a bit surprising, but trust us it really does work!
Another way to get rid of stubborn dust from your candles is to use a hairdryer – just remember to keep it at the cool setting or it will make short work of your beautiful candle!
As summer changes into autumn it is the perfect time to revisit our decor at home and liven things up with some of the rich autumnal hues which are just beginning to appear. Any room in the house can benefit from a touch of rich autumn shades such as yellow, gold, orange and red. All of these colours can tastefully be found in paintings, lampshades, carpets and tablecloths, to name but a few. Scented candles also offer the homeowner a simple, inexpensive way to introduce the myriad colours and smells of autumn into their homes Look out for luxury aromatic candles from brands like Yankee candles and True Grace candles. They are available in a selection of different aromas which will perfectly suited to the season. They slightly more costly than than alternative fragrant candles which you can find in the supermarkets, but but the fact that they offer a better, more realistic, fragrance, combined with much longer burning times mean they are actually better value for money in the long run.The colours you see so often in autumn can be part of our decor in the form of table arrangements. Such an arrangement with an autumn touch could include natural or artificial dried leaves. Candles and leaves in rich seasonal shades like orange, red or brown, are ideal for an elegant table arrangement, creating a warm, homely ambiance typical at this time of year. Another most straightforward and inexpensive table decoration, perfect for this season could be made using red and yellow apples, Spanish grapes and some wild berries. Why don’t we take the opportunity to replace our lighter, summer cushion with ones more appropriate for autumn, choosing richer, warmer colours. Heavier material for cushions and curtains will help to keep our homes comfortable as the temperature quickly drop outside. Perfume every corner of your home with fragrances evoking this exquisite time of year. Place some stunning scented candles and incense around your home to enhance its decor and to create a special, cosy atmosphere.
Everyone knows just how popular scented candles are as home accessories nowadays. You can find scented candles and, of course, fragrance diffusers and other home fragrances wherever you go these days, in small flats and apartments to grander Victorian houses. You can find scented candles being used to decorate halls, living rooms and even bathrooms – just imagine what could be nicer than chilling out in your favourite bubble bath at the end of a hard day at work, while scented candles burn away in the background? It is little wonder, then, that home fragrances and scented candles have now found their way into wedding celebrations these days. Little scented candle tins or votive candles in stunning aromas make extremely popular and unique wedding favours or “bomboniere” , so much more welcome with wedding guests than those little voile bags full of sugared almonds. Scented candles have also claimed a niche as part of the nuptials as part of the table decorations, both for guests and for the top table. Light fresh aromas usually work best. The idea is to avoid anything which could prove to be overpowering, so floral fragrances like hyacinth or honeysuckle are just right. One of our favourite rose scented candles is the True Grace candles version – Moroccan Rose. It is a fantastic blend of sweet smelling rose, which everyone knows and loves, mixed with just the right amount of spice, which makes certain that the floral aroma does not become too sweet or overpowering. Another luxury candle maker,yankee candles also makes it own wedding day candles which could not be more appropriate for a wedding celebration. What is really terrific about this candle is that it is available a variety of different sizes, which means you are able to use the smallest jar available as a perfect wedding favour, and at the same time the larger size of jar candle is perfect for decorating the table. What could be nicer!
As the smallest room in the house, the bathroom can often be overlooked when it comes to redecorating. You spend hours and hours pouring over plans for new wallpaper for the livingroom, take for ever to decide on the right ceramic floortiles for the kitchen, but the bathroom seldom seems to merit much attention when it comes to interior design. But it need not be that way. Bathroom fittings are usually what we think of when it comes to redecorating this space – a new bathroom suite or perhaps some neat storage solution. But in actual fact, it is the little things that can really make a bathroom come to life, the little accessories that really help personalise the space. You want to avoid creating a bathroom that is too cold and clinical – the minimalist approach can often give this impresssion. So, instead, go for luxurious accessories wherever you can, in rich, bold colours and designs. The options open to you when you think about bathroom accessories are endless. Beautiful towels, fluffy rugs, ornate mirrors can all add a personal, stylish note to even the dullest room. Another great idea for the bathroom is to jazz things up with a selection of scented candles. After all, relaxing in a hot bath at the end of the day, breathing in the aroma from a luxury scented candle, is one of life’s little luxuries. Why not try a selection of scented candles dotted around the room – perhaps along the edge of the bath, for example, or maybe sitting on a shelf or underneath a mirror. Small votive candles are particularly good for this because you can pick several without making the room feel cluttered. You could try some of the simple but stylish small jar candles from Yankee candles or the lovely etched glass jars from True Grace candles. A selection of differently coloured votives will add visual appeal and because candles are available in a vast selection of different shades you will always be able to come up with something to match your bathrooms decor. One last thing – don’t buy scented candles and use them just like ornaments. Sure, they look good placed around the bathroom, but their real appeal lies in their scent. Make sure you light them. You can always buy another one to replace any that are finished.
It seems that evey newspaper or magazine you pick up these days has some story about William and Kate. Whether it is an examination of Kate’s latest outfit or shoes, or what Willam is doing as part of his RAF duties it seems the press – on both sides of the Atlantic – simply cannot get enough of the young, newly married royal couple. While some of the coverage seems to be a little over the top, not to say intrusive, we must confess that one particular story jumped out at us in the last few days. It seems that, just like everyone here at The Scented Candle Store, the Duchess of Cambridge is a huge scented candles fans. So much so, that -according to press reports – she has just spent a four-figure sum on candles and diffusers to freshen up the royal apartments. That is a lot of candles! It just goes to show that she has really good taste. And if she is ever looking for something a little different – perhaps some beautiful True Grace candles or a lovely reed diffuser from Yankee candles – we’d be only too happy to help!
While many ancient peoples, including the Greeks and Romans, used oils extracted from plants for medicinal purposes, aromatherapy as an established alternative therapy has its roots in the work of a French scientist working at the start of the twentieth century. Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a chemist, found out that lavender oil had certain healing properties after an accident at work. After burning himself, in an effort to soothe the pain, he decided to apply lavender oil to the burn. After seeing the amazing results, he then carried out a more detailed investigation on burns victims during the First World War to see whether other essential oils had similar therapeutic benefits.
Nowadays, many household items including candles, perfumes and beauty products are made with essential oils. In particular, they are to be found widely in the home fragrance market where they are used to give scented candles and other home fragrance products such as reed diffusers their prized fragrances. However, because of the cost, the use of essential oils for home fragrance purposes tends to be the preserve of the luxury section of the market, including companies like True Grace candles and Yankee candles. Essential oils cost a lot more to produce than synthetic fragrances which are to be found in less expensive, mass-market candles and home fragrances, and this extra cost is one of the reasons for the higher price of luxury home frgrances. However price is not everything.The great advantage of buying luxury scented candles made with essential oils is that they allow you to savour all the benefits that aromatherapy has to offer from the privacy of your own home. Simply light your candle, breathe in the fragrant air and relax!
