When a client walks into your space, what do they remember? The layout? The lighting? The curated collection of furnishings?
Yes – but there’s something else that leaves a lasting impression: scent. A signature scent is a subtle but powerful layer of brand identity that design businesses are increasingly using to create emotional connections, enhance memorability, and elevate their client experience.
I walked into a newly opened hotel not long ago for a quick spa weekend with my best friends. The moment we stepped into the lobby, I couldn’t focus on anything except the incredible scent that hit us. It was warm, fresh, and completely unforgettable. After check-in, I actually went back down just to ask what it was and where I could buy it. Turns out, they’re working on a custom signature fragrance that will be available soon. I’m counting the days until I can get my hands on it!
Why Scent Matters in Branding
Scent is the most emotionally connected sense. It’s processed through the limbic system – the same part of the brain that handles emotion and memory. That’s why a scent can instantly transport someone back to a place or feeling. Unlike logos or fonts, a signature scent doesn’t require attention to be noticed. It just works in the background, quietly building brand recall and trust.
For design professionals who are already shaping spaces visually and physically, scent adds a new sensory layer to reinforce your brand identity. It’s not just a fragrance – it’s a feeling. Warm, welcoming, confident, calming, fresh, earthy, high-end… whatever you want your brand to communicate, scent helps say it in a way no Instagram grid can.
What Is a Signature Scent?
A signature scent is a custom (or carefully selected) fragrance that becomes part of your marketing and brand experience. It might be what clients smell when they enter your studio or showroom. It could be infused in your packaging, included in client gifts, or even diffused at events or pop-ups. Think of it as your brand’s olfactory logo – impossible to replicate, instantly recognizable.
Just like your color palette or tone of voice, your scent should be consistent across touchpoints. Done right, it creates cohesion and sets you apart in an industry where details make the difference.
Where Designers Can Use a Signature Scent
Here are some ideas for you start thinking about the different places where it could make sense to use your signature scent.
- Client Meetings & Consultations: Welcome clients into your office or home studio with a consistent scent that puts them at ease and aligns with the vibe you want to create – relaxing, energizing, refined, etc.
- Showroom or Retail Spaces: If you operate a retail location, a signature scent adds an atmospheric element that keeps customers lingering longer and subtly communicates quality and style.
- Install Days or Reveal Moments: Diffusing your brand scent during an install makes the reveal even more emotional and memorable. It can become part of your client’s sensory memory of “home.”
- Packaging & Print Collateral: Scented tissue paper, wax seals, or fragrance cards included in client mailers or product shipments make unboxing feel special and thoughtful.
- Client Gifts: Offering a custom candle, room spray, or reed diffuser with your signature scent builds goodwill and extends the experience beyond your time together.
- Events & Pop-Ups: Brand activations or open studio events are ideal moments to scent the space and create full immersion in your brand world.
Choosing the Right Scent for Your Brand
Think of your scent as an extension of your aesthetic. Are you minimal and coastal? Warm and layered? Edgy and urban? Start by identifying the mood and message you want the scent to convey. Then look for fragrance notes that match:
- Woody/earthy: communicates grounding, sophistication, and calm
- Citrus/herbal: suggests freshness, energy, and clarity
- Floral: evokes softness, warmth, and elegance
- Spicy/resinous: adds depth, intrigue, and richness
It helps to think in seasons or palettes. If your work tends to be tonal and neutral, your scent might lean clean or earthy. If you lean maximalist or whimsical, you might go for something more expressive or complex.
Custom vs. Curated Signature Scent Development
If your budget allows, working with a fragrance designer or scent branding agency to create a fully custom scent gives you exclusivity and total control. However, you don’t have to go full bespoke to make an impact.
Many small-batch fragrance houses and artisan candle brands offer private labeling, which allows you to curate a scent that fits your brand, apply your label, and use it across your touchpoints. Look for brands whose values and style align with yours – you want quality here, not just something that smells nice.
Creating a Signature Scent Experience
Once you’ve chosen your scent, the key is consistency. Your goal is for a client to catch a whiff of that smell six months from now and immediately think of you.
A few implementation ideas:
- Invest in a few diffusers or candles and use them regularly in your workspace.
- Create a branded client gift with a scented element (e.g., candle or oil roller).
- Use fragrance samples as part of your welcome package or post-project thank-you.
- Partner with a local scent maker to create limited-edition seasonal offerings – this keeps your scent story fresh without losing consistency.
Real-Life Example: Turning Scent into Brand Equity
One of our clients, a boutique design studio known for serene, layered interiors, developed a signature scent based on white tea, sandalwood, and cedar. They use it during every in-person consultation and gift a mini candle to new clients. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive – clients often say the scent makes them feel instantly calm and inspired.
Months after project completion, clients still associate that scent with the studio’s work – and several have reordered candles simply to bring that energy back into their space. That’s brand recall at its finest.
Where to Start When You Want To Develop Your Signature Scent
If you’re intrigued but unsure where to begin:
- Define the emotional tone of your brand, what do you want people to feel?
- Think about where and how you could integrate scent into your current workflow.
- Sample a few fragrance options in your price range.
- Pilot the experience with one client gift or meeting setup and note the feedback.
If people remember how you made them feel, then scent is your silent brand ambassador. Better yet, if you can turn that into a revenue stream, that’s a great thing, too!
In a saturated design market, every detail counts. A signature scent isn’t just a luxury – it’s a strategic tool for building stronger emotional bonds with your clients and making your brand unforgettable. You already create beauty and comfort for others. Why not let your brand experience reflect that from the very first inhale?
If you’ve never thought about adding scent to your brand experience, this might be the perfect time to start. It’s a low-barrier, high-impact way to level up your brand story… and leave a beautiful impression that lingers.
