Choosing a home isn’t just about what a property looks like there are also other subtle factors at play, from how feels to how it smells.

“Fragrance is so powerful and emotive; it can be used to lift moods and evoke a wide range of feelings and associations. That’s why we have made fragrance an integral part of our approach; it’s about enhancing the rental experience from all angles in order to deliver something truly unique.”

Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer, Quintain Living

At Canada Gardens, which boasts an acre of secure landscaped gardens in the heart of London’s Wembley Park, the design of the rental experience has focused on providing residents with the space to relax and exhale right from the outset. According to conceptual design company Fossey Arora, the emphasis was on creating a sense of carefree escape:

“We wanted residents to be able to leave their worries at the door, to feel relaxed and carefree while living in the heart of such a vibrant urban area. Canada Gardens is about looking up at the sky.”

Fossey Arora

This sense of relaxation and space flows throughout Canada Gardens. Quintain Living – the award-winning management company that oversees the rental of more than 2,500 apartments in Wembley Park, including Canada Gardens – takes residents on a sensory journey of scents as they move through the different areas and amenities.

That journey begins in the super-lobby, where the garden-fresh scents of orange, bergamot and lavender evoke memories of warm summer breezes and long, carefree days. The plant-filled lobby, with its high ceilings and simple, natural materials is ideally suited to this welcoming, summery smell. The bright and sunny bergamot, which is reminiscent of Earl Grey tea, gives way to a pre-heart note of grapefruit, bringing to mind the impression of a hot, sunny day in even the gloomiest of weather. The wonderful heart notes, which blend white lavender and sweet neroli, are grounded by base notes of rosemary, patchouli and vetiver attar.

Canada Gardens’ smaller entrance, meanwhile, is all about fresh green tea. According to Maureen Cintract of Aromatise, who provided the Canada Gardens fragrances, the intense freshness of the scent speaks to personal, cultural and traditional ideas of home. The top notes of lemon, mint and orange peel soothe the mind, body and spirit. Charming and gracious, its heart is made up of Asian lily and compassionate lotus, symbolising freedom and spiritual rebirth, while notes of spicy cardamom and musky nutmeg gently ground the emotions.