Have you ever walked into a space and had your nose go, "Hold up, I know this scent..." It's like your nose becomes some sort of detective, instantly connecting the dots between a smell and a memory or feeling.
When it comes to designing our homes, we often focus on what looks good and as a paint brand, looks are clearly very important to us. In the realm of interior design, we often focus on visual aesthetics, but the true importance lies in engaging multiple senses to create an unforgettable ambiance. Fragrances aren't about the surface-level appearances, they're a sneaky accomplice that can make or break your first impression of a space.
So last week we sat down with Sarah Bell, Founder of Evermore Candles, to explore the fascinating connection between colour and scent. We’ll be uncovering the inspiration behind Evermore's creation and how fragrance can truly transform the way we feel in a room.
Tell us a bit about the beginnings of Evermore Candle
I started making candles around 2014 as a way to experiment and create personalised gifts for friends and family. At that time, I realised there was a lack of knowledge about candle ingredients and their impact. This led me to looking into soy wax, essential oils, and sulphate-free fragrance oils. I wanted to offer candles that were not only beautifully scented but also crafted with high-quality, natural ingredients.
How important do you believe scent is in influencing our emotions and the atmosphere of a space?
For me personally, scent is incredibly powerful when it comes to setting the mood and evoking emotions. Our sense of smell is closely tied to our memories and can transport us to different times and places. Scent has the ability to create an atmosphere that is welcoming, energising, refreshing or even nostalgic. I really love how personal and completely open to interpretation this can be, making it a valuable tool when curating a space.
Colours and scents often go hand in hand. How do you think they are interconnected?
Colours and scents have the amazing ability to ignite memories and feelings. That's one of the main reasons we spent so much time choosing the colours of our boxes. We want customers to be able to get a sense of each of our fragrances before they actually experience them.
For example, with Light, the fragrance is inspired by the Gardens of Seville, so it's very citrusy, with fruity and bergamot notes. We chose the orange colour of the box because it gives an energising feel which is replicated in the smell. Similar to this, I think the rich burnt orange of COAT's Mezcal evokes a memory of travel and holidays.
How do you see colour and scent influencing the emotions and overall ambiance of a space?
Both colours and scents have the power to transform a space. Warm tones tend to be comforting and inviting, while cooler tones can create a sense of calm and serenity.
For example, our Ember candle is inspired by the winter solstice, featuring warm, cosy scents like frankincense and black pepper. The packaging reflects these feelings as well, the rich and inviting red (which is similar to Old Street) can help create a snug and cocooning.
North is quite similar, it's inspired by the North Star. So we wanted it to feel quite Christmasy, but not in a kind of cliché way. I think COAT's 2AM evokes a similar feeling, the dark royal blue shade reminds me of long winter nights.
On the other end of the spectrum, we've got Flore, which is inspired by the French countryside. Celebrating early spring mornings, with the mist rolling in and the sun rising.
In my home especially, I like to create fragrance zones which is quite similar to colour blocking with paint and working with a scheme as a whole. Bathrooms and bedrooms tend to be quite calming and restorative, whereas the living room is comforting and welcoming. Then in the kitchen I like to feel quite energising and also use fragrances that can be odour eliminating. After you've cooked, it's nice to burn a citrusy scent that can balance out.
Why did you choose to work with COAT on your studio space?
We chose to work with COAT Paints for our studio because we felt the colours were really modern and unique. We really value COAT’s sustainability credentials and feel like it's really aligned with our own.
The Studio is actually a hybrid space, so it's part office, part production. So we put quite a lot of care and attention into the finish and how we wanted it to look; because our intention is to invite clients down and have them involved in the whole candle making experience.
So there you have it…It's time to unleash your inner scent-sational decorator and let the magic of colour and fragrance take centre stage in your home. Check out Evermore's candle range and think about how you can use paint and fragrance to tell a unique and personal story in your home. Grab a sample and start pairing.
