The Sense Design Star Judge Genevieve Gorder Says Is Essential For Decorating

When decorating a room, most of us focus on one sense: sight. However, this is not the only sense that affects how people perceive a room's design. Touch, smell, and sound are also extremely important, and even taste can be a big factor when entertaining guests, as delicious food and drinks can make them feel welcome.

Interior designer and "Design Star" judge Genevieve Gorder always takes all five senses into account when designing a space. Way back in 2009, she told The Washington Post, "I try to think of all five senses when I entertain. I'll figure out a playlist, maybe some samba, and have beautiful flowers." She reiterated this concept to NBC, saying, "We're affected by color and sound and texture and light, just like every creature on the planet." However, while she knows that every sense is important, there's one that she highlights the most; she even says that it "build[s] a room." Here's the sense Gorder believes is the most important and how to incorporate it in your home.

According to Genevieve Gorder, one of the most important things to include in your home is scent. She says that "scent is one that you have to acknowledge in the very beginning, just like light. [Scent is] the sense that wraps around our olfactory so it's the most powerful one we have... Think about some of your favorite spaces in life, there's usually a scent that you can attribute to it as well," per NBC. Therefore, adding certain scents to your environment can remind you of fond past memories and create a comfortable space.

In fact, because Gorder believes that scent is so important, she's partnered with quite a few different companies that sell scented items. For instance, in 2016, she advertised for Luminara Candles; in 2017, she partnered with AirWick to sell seasonal scent plug-ins; and in 2018, she worked with Yankee Candle, per Instagram. Further, Gorder also decorated the White House for the holidays in 2012, and one of her most important tips for adorning a faux Christmas tree is making sure you add a pine scent. To do this, she either sprays the branches with a mixture of essential oils and water or uses a diffuser, (via Rachael Ray).

While scent can be added to every room in the home, Genevieve Gorder highlights certain areas as being the most important. For instance, she says that the bedroom is essential, as we spend a lot of vulnerable time there, per her website. Because of this, she asks her clients the following questions when designing their beds: "What were those times you were happiest as a child? What did it smell like? What did that bed feel and look like? And how can we achieve this feel in a look that would please you now as an adult?"

She also highlights the importance of scent in the bathroom. In The Design Network's YouTube video, Gorder says this: "I think it's about entertaining the nose with a lot of beautiful scents: oils, dried herbs and flowers, soaps, all of these things take you to a different place like this [snaps fingers] as soon as you walk in the door." She says that adding these scents is key to creating a space your guests and yourself will truly enjoy. Finally, adding candles to the entryway will create a "warm hug of fragrance for your guests," per Yankee Candle's Instagram.