The Magic of Home Fragrance, with Laura & Harry Slatkin (Part 1 of 2)

Scent World

Back in the day, shopping for a scented candle would take you to a dusty shelf in the back of the lingerie department. In came Laura and Harry. When they founded Slatkin & Co in 1992, the couple put home fragrance on the map, creating the category and infusing it with a sense of luxury and refinement. Their first candle, Bamboo, became an instant fan-favorite and remains their #1 bestseller after more than three decades.

In 2008, Laura launched NEST New York, collaborating with master perfumers to create a collection that spans home and fine fragrance. Harry continues to run Slatkin & Co, which includes Homeworx and four other brands.

Hosted by Scentbird’s Brittney Jackson Moseley, this episode is split into two parts:

In Part 1, Laura and Harry open up about the highs and lows of building businesses together, reveal that they didn’t like each other at first, and share the secret to a long and happy marriage. They bring us into their enchanting lifestyle, give us an intimate tour of their home, which doubles as a fragrance testing lab, and share their tips for scenting different rooms to create a sensory paradise for family and friends.

In Part 2, Laura shares an inside look at the NEST New York collection, starting with the 18th-century English artist who inspired the brand’s iconic botanical paintings. She’ll touch on the viral Madagascar Vanilla perfume oil, the crowd-pleaser Grapefruit candle, and the stunning new Lychee Rose fine fragrance. Hear her reaction to a surprising Andy Cohen moment and learn how she recommends layering with perfume oils.

Part 1 Highlights:

• Laura & Harry, the Queen & King of home fragrance

• How scent keeps Laura & Harry’s romance alive

• What did their first date smell like?

• Harry smelled like… a construction worker!?

• The secret to their 30+ years of marriage

• Putting home fragrance on the map

• The journey from Wall Street to fragrance

• What it was like to buy a scented candle

• A mishap while pitching to Neiman Marcus

• Bamboo, the #1 bestseller for 32 years

• How Harry’s nose gets him into trouble

• “Our home is a testing lab”

• How they scent their home

• Scenting the living room

• Scenting the dining room

• After dinner, it’s time for this kind of scent

• The worst thing a guest can do

• Scenting the bedroom

• Reacting to family photos & videos

• An adorable mother/daughter moment

• A 19th century “campaign” bed

• A family photo by Douglas Friedman

• Their son David’s chicken farm

To watch the video version on YouTube, go to https://podcast.scentbird.com/episode/39.