To me, a fridge full of snapshots and doodles, area rugs strewn with squeaky dog toys and mantels of mementos make a home. So too does a home's scent. Not bacon lingering two days later or running shoes parked near the front door, but the good stuff.

The ideal scent for me is a mix of petrichor, amber, bergamot, teak wood and a slice of fresh lemon. I deploy a mix of the following, with the exception of indoor gardening.

Scented candles and room mists

Although everyone has their own preferences, here are some favorites of mine. You might find something to love.

• Niven Morgan Gold
• Cote Bastide Amber
• Diptyque Feu de Bois for wintertime
• Trapp Burmese Wood

Houseplants

My green thumb stops at the front door. Either for lack of warm, sunny windows or a house that is kept too cool in winter, I've had little success with growing plants indoors.

• Jasmine--reminds me of a garden we kept in San Francisco
• Gardenia--I've never had luck with this one. If you have, what's your secret?
• Indoor fruit tree--try the dwarf Improved Meyer Lemon or Kaffir lime.

Fresh flowers

No cutting garden? No problem. Try a local farmers market, the grocery store or flower shop.

Far right image styled by Olga Naiman

In a vase this size, in place of flowering branches try giant tropical leaves.

If arranging flowers intimidates you (and it does me), check out Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature.

A page from the book--Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature

Nearly anything that holds water can be used as long as its scale and size suit the bouquet. Instead of reaching for a bud vase, consider this collection of old chemistry and laboratory equipment.

Image from Heart Home Magazine, issue 2

Kerry Pitt-Hart has designed jewelry for Anthropologie, is a Getty Images contributor and is working on a children's book. She finds inspiration in the beauty of things as they are, Hellenistic sculpture, Chinese calendar posters of the 1910s and creatures that make their homes in the sea. She'll be lending her creative eye to KCMag.com's exlusive home design blog.