What is the best autumnal home fragrance? Help us settle the debate

Are you a fan of pumpkin spice, or do you prefer a muskier scent to usher in the cosy months? It's time for you to have your say...

pumpkin table centrepiece filled with flowers with smaller pumpkins on each plate
(Image credit: Future/Dan Duchars)

As an Ideal Home reader, you're likely to be in the know about home fragrances, what types of scents smell expensive and which ones conjure up that cosy feeling in autumn, and it's the latter that I want your opinion on.

Scented candles and the best reed diffusers are a huge part of changing up your home and welcoming in autumn and the cosy season. In the last month, many retailers have started to drop their autumn candle ranges, and this year there has been an explosion in the sweet and spicy 'pumpkin pie' and 'pumpkin spice' inspired scents, with everyone from Very Home to Aldi launching a version.

However, for everyone who loves using these sweet scents, there is another who can't stand them and prefers welcoming in the new season with something muskier, smokier or even fruitier. Scent is hugely personal, and what is one person's dream autumnal scent is another's worst-smelling nightmare. As such, we'd like you to have your say: as readers, we want to know what scent says autumn to you.

On the Ideal Home desk, there is a huge range of candle and diffuser scents we switch to come September. I prefer something with a crispy and fruity edge, waiting for The White Company's elusive Autumn candle to return every year with its notes of pear, quince and amber.

Molly, our Kitchen Appliance Editor, opts for Boy Smells Hinoki Fantome with its woody and early notes of cardamom and amber notes. While both our Sleep Editor, Amy and Room Decor Editor, Sara, prefer something with a smoky tobacco edge, name-dropping the Leather candle from Malin+Goetz and Warm Tobacco Pipe from DW Home as their go-to autumn scents.

A living room with a lit wood burning stove and a coffee table adorned with a vase of hydrangeas and a lit scented candle

(Image credit: Future PLC/Brent Darby)

Our News Writer Kezia is a fan of a cosy, slightly sweet scent like the Buhn Soft Focus Candle, which has notes of Tonka Bean, Jasmine and Lemon. While Senior Digital Editor Jenny hates anything too sweet and always opts for something with amber or oud notes.

Is there an autumnal scent or particular candle you adore and think deserves more attention? Or is there an autumnal scent growing in popularity that you can't stand? Let us know what the scent is, why you love it and any particular home fragrances or brands that do that particular type of scent best.

Leave us your thoughts in the comment section below to join the discussion and help us settle the debate on what is the best autumnal home fragrance scent. We'll share your thoughts in a follow-up article.

Rebecca Knight
Deputy Editor, Digital

Rebecca Knight has been the Deputy Editor on the Ideal Home Website since 2022. She graduated with a Masters degree in magazine journalism from City, University of London in 2018, before starting her journalism career as a staff writer on women's weekly magazines. She fell into the world of homes and interiors after joining the Ideal Home website team in 2019 as a Digital Writer. In 2020 she moved into position of Homes News Editor working across Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, Gardeningetc and Ideal Home covering everything from the latest viral cleaning hack to the next big interior trend.

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