Now the clocks have turned back, there’s been a noticeable shift in what’s going on outside. From the shorter days to the drop in temperature, the wonderful season that is autumn is coming to a close, and the onset of winter is finding form with frosty mornings and extra layers.
But there’s one smell that makes this time of the year so distinguished. During a brisk walk around your local fields, or even on the way to the supermarket, the smell of wood, either burning or fresh, permeates the air.
Whether that’s the scent from a nearby furnace alight to keep away the cold, or the moistness of fresh pine from a local woodland, it’s a wholesome smell that lingers everywhere you go.
As society has progressed and alternatives – such as coal, gas and electricity – have been adopted, wood has remained at the core of our lives. Adapted into paper, flooring, furniture and tools, wood has been moulded to serve our needs at every turn.
But why, when there are alternatives to the traditional log burner and rustic wooden surfaces, do we still feel an allegiance to this material? Perhaps it is an aesthetic choice, a desire for more natural tones to bring balance to the home. Or maybe people simply love tradition; there’s nothing quite like a wood burner as the centrepiece to a living room.
But, as avid fragrance fiends, we think there is more to it than that.
Reminiscent of childhood memories spent foraging around the woodland floor, our hearts remain faithful to wood because of its wholesome associations. An experience that transcends sight and sound, the smell evokes ephemeral moments as fleeting as the scent itself.
Subtle and earthy, everyone has some form of memory attached to this organic material, and it is during the colder months, when more wood is being used, that the nostalgia of this smell brings these memories to life.
As soon as the scent hits our nostrils, feelings of calm, security and refuge come forth in abundance and we are transported back home, to childhood and to the outdoors. It calls to mind the crackle and pop of the fireplace on cold winter nights, the leaves piled high on the forest floor in autumn, and the freedom of the trees.
A nostalgic escape from the demands of modern life, it makes us think of our younger selves, mesmerised by the simplicity of nature and the mystery of the forest. At once, the smell allows us to taste deliciously cooked food and feel the warm embrace of the hearth.
From Scandinavisk’s more traditional Skog to Hobo’s Oakwood and Tobacco candle, there’s a variety of woody notes to choose from, all fused with spices and other scents to accentuate the sanctuary we call home.
Whatever nostalgic memories you associate with wood, we stock a range of candles that will bring these moments back to life.
