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Walking in my neighborhood I am attracted to the scents of incense drifting out the door. Last week I also noticed the candles with crisp citrus fragrance in a showroom at the Seattle Design Center. It seems fragrance is a part of civilization and cultures so no wonder we associate certain scents with customs such as religious rituals, special occasions or therapies. The ancient Egyptians made fragrance use paramount in religious and secular life. Early Hindu vapor rooms were looked upon not only to soften the skin, but also to induce a desirable frame of mind. In 538 A.D., when Buddhism was introduced into Japan from China, an essential part of the religious observances was burning of incense. Fragrance truly blossomed under the reign of Louis XIV during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In North America, the Indians taught early American settlers to make torch candles from fragrant pine branches.

Using scents in our home is truly a ‘less is more’ moment. Too much overwhelms just as too much perfume upstages the one wearing it. “Environmental fragrancing should be very subtle; you shouldn’t be knocked out by it,” said Theresa Molnar, executive director of Manhattan-based The Fragrance Foundation and its research and education division, the Sense of Smell Institute. “You should enjoy it when it’s there,” she continued. “It shouldn’t be so overpowering that it’s all you can think of.”

When choosing a scent, Ms. Molnar said, think about the atmosphere you want to create. For example, in an entryway or living room, you might consider an energizing and uplifting floral fragrance, while calming scents like lavender or jasmine would be appropriate in the bedroom. In the kitchen, where there already are food smells, try a cinnamon or herbal fragrances or something fresh like cucumber.

People tend to choose fragrance based on memory perception, according to Catie Briscoe of Crabtree & Evelyn, explaining that scents activate part of the brain related to memory, leading us to choose those we relate to or have experienced. One of my favorite scents is sandalwood, a scent I associate with a trade showroom that shows Asian inspired style.

My all time favorite scent is one from L’Occitane, Amber. Here is the description: A voluptuous blend of Oriental scents. The sweetness of vanilla is combined with a bouquet of spices, incense, myrrh and labdanum.

If you want something that delivers fragrance continually, use a reed diffuser.

Whichever way you go, candles or diffusers, floral, spicy, botanical or citrus aromas, fragrance experts agree that how you scent your home all depends on you. Said Ms. Deyette: “It all comes down to individual choice.”