The Scent That Never Ends: What Home Smell Would You Choose Forever?
SCENTS OF HOME: If you could fill your house with just one smell forever—no switching for the seasons, no rotating favorites—the answers from locals suggest this decision is as personal as perfume and as nostalgic as grandma’s pie.
For many, apple cinnamon was the clear front-runner, with multiple folks—Julia Kathleen Craig Cole, Rita Brown, Phyllis Wallace, and Sharon White Vest among them—swearing by the classic blend of spice and sweetness. It’s the scent of fall, family, and freshly baked comfort, and clearly, it never goes out of style. Close behind came muscadine and mulberry, both bringing a Southern orchard flair that evokes backyard summers and homemade jam. Karen Reding Hunter and Tammy Harris both cast their votes for those fruity notes, and they weren’t alone—these two scents have deep roots in Southern homes.
Others leaned toward the luxurious. The Diva scent by Tyler Candle Co. drew an enthusiastic crowd, led by Heather Brown and Jerri Wilbanks Ray, who admitted to using it in just about every form imaginable—candles, detergent, and beyond. Meanwhile, the Volcano loyalists made their voices known. Emily South Rutherford and Jessica Simms praised the bright, tropical aroma, while Laura Bolton Patterson and Chasity Cartee-Johnson both gave nods to Capri Blue’s cult favorite as their forever fragrance.
Sweet scents had a strong showing too—vanilla, sugar cookie, and brown sugar vanilla each brought warmth to the discussion. “Homemade bread or chocolate chip cookie,” offered Sue Terrell, perfectly summarizing that craving for home-baked coziness. Others like Tonietta Love Mitchell leaned into sugar cookie sweetness, while coffee fans like Jerri Ann Long insisted that freshly brewed espresso should be the household default.
Of course, a few rebels couldn’t resist tossing in curveballs: bacon, margarita, and even WD-40 made the list. Guy Chicks’ pick—Corinthian leather—had everyone picturing the inside of a new sports car, while Richard Hunt jokingly floated pumpkin spice before settling on pine or cedar wood.
Florals and fruits added their own grace notes to the thread: honeysuckle, bird of paradise, gardenia, and peach blossombrought freshness to the mix, reminding everyone that some scents never fade with time.
And then, there was one answer that quieted the whole room: “The smell of my mama 💔,” wrote Samantha Rene. A simple, powerful reminder that the scents we love most often come from memories, not jars.
No matter the pick—be it muscadine nostalgia, cozy cinnamon, or leather luxury—the conversation revealed one truth: scent isn’t just about fragrance. It’s about feeling at home.
What smell instantly takes you back to your childhood?