Once, every home had its still room, a quiet corner for steeping, preserving, drying herbs, and preparing aromatic remedies. This is my modern echo of that tradition. Here you’ll find seasonal ideas, simple home rituals, and gentle projects drawn from the rhythms of nature and domestic life.

From lavender sachets to printable labels, from vintage herb finds to sweetly-scented inspiration, The Still Room is a gathering shelf for all things slow, fragrant and handmade. Free to explore, always evolving.

From the Still Room Shelf:

This Still Room project invites you to play with texture, scent, and story, rooted in the age-old fascination with the sea and its offerings. A single shell becomes a vessel for memory or scent, a reminder of shoreline wanderings and tide-washed finds. Whether used as a dish, a pot, or simply admired, it carries a kind of ocean alchemy.

Autumn Still Room Recipe: Orchard Pot-Pourri

As the days shorten and the air grows crisp, the still room fills with the fragrance of stored fruit, dried petals, and warming spices. This autumn pot-pourri gathers the essence of an orchard after harvest: apples and pears mingling with cedarwood, clove, and rose. Place it in a wide bowl on a windowsill, or tuck into small sachets to scent drawers and cupboards through the colder months.

What You’ll Need

• Base plants

  • 175g (6oz) dried orchard blossoms (roses, sunflowers, or wildflowers)

  • 80g (3oz) dried rose hips

  • 80g (3oz) dried mix of small orchard leaves (apple, pear, or quince if available)

• Oils

  • 7ml (140 drops) apple-scented oil

  • 4ml (80 drops) cedarwood oil

  • 2ml (40 drops) clove bud oil

  • 1ml (20 drops) lemon oil

  • 1ml (20 drops) rose oil (synthetic or natural)

• Carrier materials

  • 50g (2oz) coriander seeds

  • 30g (1oz) chopped dried lemon peel

• Trimmings (optional, for beauty and texture)

  • Thin slices of dried apple or pear

  • Green hellebore flowers

  • Small white daisies

  • Tiny pine cones or seed pods

How to Make

1. Prepare the fruit trimmings: Slice apples or pears thinly and dry them slowly in a warm, airy place until crisp. These lend both fragrance and decoration.

2. Mix the base plants: Combine the dried blossoms, rose hips, and orchard leaves in a large bowl.

3. Blend the oils: In a small glass jar, stir the apple, cedarwood, clove, lemon, and rose oils into the coriander seeds and dried peel. This helps carry and extend the fragrance.

4. Assemble the pot-pourri: Add the oiled seeds and peel to the dried plant mix, stirring gently. Incorporate your dried fruit slices and decorative trimmings.

5. Cure: Place the mixture in a lidded jar or box for 2–3 weeks, shaking occasionally to distribute the fragrance. When ready, display in open bowls, or tuck into sachets and place in drawers.

Notes from the Still Room

This blend captures both warmth and brightness: cedarwood for grounding, apple for sweetness, rose for softness, clove for spice, and lemon for lift. Think of it as a seasonal chorus, echoing the orchard, the hearth, and the memory of golden afternoons in late September.

A Summer’s Whisper: Peony & Shalimar-Inspired Potpourri

Celebrate the gentle warmth of summer with a handcrafted potpourri that evokes soft petals, sunlit gardens, and whispered secrets. Inspired by the delicate bloom of Chinese peonies and the timeless allure of Shalimar’s classic fragrance, this blend combines lush florals, warm spices, and fresh citrus to fill your space with nostalgia and calm.

Perfect for your Still Room or any corner that craves a touch of vintage romance and sensory delight, this recipe invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and savor the season’s subtle magic.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz dried Chinese peony petals

• 4 oz mixed dried florals (hydrangea, hibiscus, bougainvillea, mallow, carnation)

• 2 oz dried lavender flowers (removed from stems)

• 1 oz dried bay leaves

• 1 oz dried whole cloves

• 1 oz orris root powder (fixative)

• ½ oz gum benzoin (warm, balsamic resin)

• 1 teaspoon powdered cloves

• 100 drops rosewood essential oil

• 80 drops cedarwood essential oil

• 60 drops rose-scented synthetic or rose absolute (for rich floral heart)

• 40 drops bergamot essential oil (bright citrus top note)

• 20 drops patchouli essential oil (earthy base note)

• Optional: 1 vanilla bean pod, split and dried, for warm sweetness

• Optional: ½ oz amber resin chips or powder for added depth

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dried Chinese peony petals, mixed florals, lavender, bay leaves, and whole cloves.

2. Stir in orris root powder, gum benzoin, and powdered cloves to provide a lasting base and warm resinous scent.

3. Add the essential oils drop by drop, mixing gently after each addition to evenly distribute the fragrance.

4. Optionally, break the vanilla bean pod into pieces and add it to the mixture along with amber resin if using.

5. Transfer your potpourri blend into an airtight glass jar and allow it to cure in a cool, dark place for 2 to 3 weeks, shaking the jar gently every few days.

6. After curing, your potpourri is ready to display in decorative bowls, sachets, or glass jars to scent your Still Room with a rich, layered fragrance inspired by Chinese peony and the classic Shalimar perfume.

Safety & Usage Tips

• Essential oils are highly concentrated; always handle with care.

• When making sachets or placing potpourri near skin or pets, do a small patch test first to check for any sensitivities.

• Use gloves when blending oils to avoid skin irritation.

• Keep potpourri and oils out of reach of children and pets.

• Work in a well-ventilated space to avoid overwhelming scents.

• Source your essential oils and botanicals from reputable suppliers to ensure purity and safety.

• Store your potpourri in airtight containers when not in use to preserve fragrance and freshness.

Enjoy your handcrafted potpourri — a timeless blend to nourish the senses and your Still Room.

Shalimar: A Timeless Scent of Romance and Mystery

Created in 1925 by the legendary French perfume house Guerlain, Shalimar was inspired by the enchanting Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, India — a place steeped in history, romance, and exotic beauty. This iconic oriental fragrance blends fresh bergamot citrus, delicate jasmine and iris, and a warm, sensual base of vanilla, amber, and spices like cinnamon and patchouli.

Shalimar revolutionized perfumery with its elegant use of vanilla and rich, layered notes that evoke both softness and mystery. Our potpourri takes its cue from this timeless classic, combining floral freshness with spicy warmth for a scent that lingers like a whispered secret.

Seaside Stillness

Inspired by shoreline gatherings, this scent bowl brings together sea-worn shells, driftwood curls, and mossy sprigs, held gently in a tide of citrus and resin.

Gather natural textures, shells, seed pods, dried lemon peel, lichen or frilled mushroom forms, and let them mingle in a shallow glass bowl.

Add your scent: a few drops of bergamot and sandalwood for warmth, a whisper of cedarwood for grounding, and labdanum to anchor it all.

Let the mix rest in stillness before revealing it on your dresser, shelf, or bedside. A quiet echo of the sea, and a moment of calm for your space.

This project is rooted in the old tradition of scenting household linens, a calming blend of practical and poetic. Rosewater brings freshness, softness, and a little summer morning magic.

Rosewater + Rice Sachets

A simple, scented ritual for drawers, baskets, or bedside linen.

What You'll Need:
Cotton scraps/vintage fabric (4–6 inch squares)
3 tablespoons uncooked rice per sachet
1–2 teaspoons rosewater
Optional: dried rose petals or a drop of rose essential oil
Twine, ribbon, or a scrap of lace to tie

How to Make:

1. Place the fabric square face-down.

2. Spoon rice into the centre.

3. Add rosewater (and petals or oil, if using) directly onto the rice.

4. Gather corners together to create a pouch.

5. Tie with twine or ribbon.

6. Let sit for an hour to infuse fully before using.

   
   

   Where to Use Them:
   In a drawer or wardrobe
   Under your pillow
   In a suitcase or travel pouch
   As a quiet gift for a guest room

 The Lost Art of Scenting Drawers

There was a time when every drawer held a secret, a whisper of lavender, a trace of rose, the soft breath of herbs tucked between linen folds. Scenting drawers wasn’t just for prettiness, it was a quiet ritual of care. A way of keeping the home tender and the days a little softer.

In reviving this practice, we return to that slower rhythm. We begin again to notice the little things, how fabric holds memory, how scent shifts a mood, how simple makings restore the spirit.

This sachet is small, yes, but it carries with it something enduring. The art of noticing. The grace of doing things by hand.