Candles for Every Room in your Home

Candles are one of our favorite home accessories. We love discovering new brands and fragrance combinations that bring fresh energy to our homes. Experimenting with a range of scents can be a fun way to create the perfect mood for every room.

But not every candle is suited for every space. When selecting fragrances for your home, take into account the size of the space, the purpose of the room and the people it serves. For instance, you’ll want to select a different fragrance for a kitchen versus a small powder room -- scents with varying intensities will smell different depending on the size of the room. Try pairing a variety of unexpected fragrances throughout your home to create living spaces that invite relaxation, creativity, romance, energy and happiness.

To help select the best candles for your home, take a look at the scent suggestions we've compiled below. Once you have decided on the fragrance blend, you can start to explore the different styles, sizes and vessels that complement the room decor.

Kitchen

Food preparation introduces many of its own odors to the kitchen, so it’s important to keep kitchen fragrances mild, fresh and clean. Our favorite kitchen fragrances complement kitchen aromas versus fighting with them.  Zesty Citrus blends, mint, sweet and spicy pomegranate and rosemary all work well in cooking spaces, but stay away from stronger exotic and scents like amber, ginger and cardamon. Two of our favorite candles for kitchens are Thymes Lemon Leaf candle (left, below) and Brooklyn Candle's Sunday Morning (right, below).

 

Living Room and Family Room

Our family rooms are where we live… where we relax, read, watch movies, play games and entertain.  We want these areas to be fuss-free and relaxing so the candle fragrances in these areas should be the same.  We like lively, relaxing and fun scents such as sea mist, vanilla, orange, eucalyptus and pine, as well as fresh herbs like basil or sage for our more casual spaces. Two of our top picks for family rooms are our own GRACEiousliving Private Label Candle (left, below) and the beautiful Driftwood and Sea Salt windward candle from Northern Lights(right, below).  

  

 

In the more formal living rooms, we like to incorporate exotic blends and earthy scents such as blackberry, ginger, patchouli and bourbon to add a layer of warmth and sophistication to the room. Our two favorites for living rooms are Capri Blue's iconic Volcano candle (left, below) and the classic Santorini 2-wick candle from Brooklyn Candle Company (right, below).

    

Bedroom

Candles in the bedroom can set the mood for relaxation or romance. For relaxation, choose one of the classic soothing scents such as lavender, chamomile, vanilla or bergamot. To create a more romantic atmosphere, choose a beautifully scented fragrance with jasmine, rose, amber, sandalwood or cedar fragrance. When combined with the soft light of a flickering candle, relaxation is all but guaranteed.  Our favorite relaxing candles are Nectar Republic's Lavender Chamomile (below left) and the Blushing Rosewood Botanical Candle from Rosy Rings (right, below).  

   

   

Our favorite Romantic candles for Bedrooms are Mersea's Saltaire Candle (left) and Nectar Republic's Rose Sandalwood candle (right, below). One safety note... Remember to extinguish candles completely before dozing off to sleep.

    

 

Bathroom

Clean, refreshing and relaxing scents are the preferred scents to help neutralize odors in bathroom areas. Fragrances such as crisp linen, eucalyptus, citrus and mint create a clean, uplifting feeling. To create a relaxing atmosphere while winding down or soaking in the tub, try a candle with lavender, vanilla or jasmine scent.  It’s sure to soften the senses and create a calm and serene atmosphere while winding down. Our favorites to create a spa-like experience are Broken Top's Sea Salt Surf (below, left) and Thymes' Cyprus Sea Salt candle (below, right).

  

 

Home Office

The home office is the space for candle lovers to experiment with fragrance.  While many of us are still working at home, candles in our home offices can set the tone for a productive and creative day.  They can help focus the mind, enhance creativity and even reduce stress caused by deadlines or demanding bosses.  The best scents for home offices include: coconut (stylish and creative); citrus (improves mood and reduces stress); peppermint and cinnamon (enhances focus); and woodsy scents, such as evergreen and pine, that instill confidence and mean business.  For a fresh new office fragrance, we suggest our own GRACEious candle from Ella B, with notes of evergreen, grapefruit and citrus or the spicy, floral fragrance of Broken Top's Saguaro Cactus soy candle.

 

   

We’d love to hear which candle scents you love in your home.  Drop us a note below or jump over to our Facebook or Instagram pages to share your favorites!

 

updated February 5, 2024