How to Add Scent to a Fireplace

A fireplace is a delightful feature in a home, offering unrivaled heat and ambiance while in use and an attractive focal point at all other times. In addition to the pleasing crackle and warm glow, you can augment the sensory experience even further by customizing scents for the fireplace. Depending on the type of fireplace you have and the particular aromas you desire, you might buy or craft some fireplace incense or potpourri or perhaps just experiment with the best-smelling firewood.

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, try burning different types of firewood to discover those with the best natural aromas. Availability may vary by region, but cedar, pine, hickory and oak are generally considered some of the best-smelling firewood options. Try mesquite for delicious aromas reminiscent of a barbecue or hickory for the classic campfire smell. Fruit woods, such as apple, pear and cherry, offer sweet smells, while nut tree woods, like walnut and pecan, naturally smell rich and nutty. You might also look into heat output and burning time while researching firewood options.

One of the simplest ways to add hints of natural scents to a fireplace – wood-burning only – is to carefully add fragrant natural products to the fire. Use common sense to select products that smell great and will burn safely, such as dried fruit slices, citrus peel, cinnamon sticks and bundles of dried herbs. Test a small piece of any such scented item you're considering to make sure it burns safely without too much smoke.

Hardware stores and specialist fireplace supply stores offer scented faux logs and treated pine cones designed to work like fireplace incense. Scented faux logs have the benefits of being easy to light and burning for several hours, and some promise multicolored flames as a fun effect. These products are available in naturalistic scents, like balsam, cedar and peat, as well as novelty aromas, like coffee beans and fried chicken. Check the instructions before using these products to see if they're suitable for your type of fireplace.

Similar to scented faux logs and pine cones, you can purchase fragranced fire starters that act like fireplace incense. Just like the larger logs, they come in a range of natural and novelty scents. Check the instructions for these products before use.

You might also make DIY fire starters and add fragrances to use as fireplace incense. There are many methods and recipes available online, and most can be customized with additional essential oils or fragrance oils, ground spices and dried fruits.

Fireplace scent stones are available in specialist stores, but they are essentially unglazed tiles that you dot with essential or fragrance oils and place on top of a stove or near a fireplace. The heat from the fire warms the stone and releases the aromas. Replicate the store-bought version with an unglazed terra-cotta tile and always use caution once it's heated.

Replicate stovetop scent steamers with a small cast iron or other fireproof pan filled with water and natural-scented items. Place the pan close enough to the fire to heat the water to the point of steaming, which will release the scents all around the room. Consider essential oils; fresh or dried herbs; citrus rinds; whole spices, such as cinnamon sticks; cloves and star anise; and vanilla essence.