‘Pot pourri was ready for reinvention,’ says Karl Cyprien, the fragrance obsessive behind À LA, the home scents company that he established in 2025 with his wife Meg (above with Karl), which draws inspiration from the purist lines and traditions of Japan.
The creative, who has consulted for brands such as Shiseido, traces his love of scent to his childhood. ‘My mother always had baskets of pot pourri round the house, and my father burned incense,’ he recalls. ‘That was the spark, but we wanted to create a contemporary experience using natural ingredients, combined with the Japanese tradition of handcrafted porcelain.’
À LA launched with ‘Aquilaria’ incense (£58 on its own, or £206 in a limited-edition porcelain box) and ‘La Lamia’ pot pourri (£35). ‘The pot pourri is finely ground botanicals infused with notes of patchouli and frankincense,’ Karl explains. ‘And the incense is low profile – it’s not overpowering. The scents are built around agarwood, the most precious wood in the world.’
The company’s limited-edition boxes are made in Arita, the Kyushu town that is considered to be the birthplace of Japanese porcelain. ‘I’m working with a local family there, who make all our porcelain objects, and another family on Awaji Island, who produce our incense and other products.’
A newly released collection triples À LA’s offering. ‘There is an entry-level incense box ($30) and two new incense fragrances,’ Karl says. The jewel of the entire collection is the ‘Laque Urushi’ box in a deep-tamari coloured lacquer (£481): ‘It’s very special – a keeper of things.’ a-la.jp
Diffused lines
Home scents are evolving into considered designs that sit well on a coffee table, and instil balance and calm. HG101 interior designer Sophie Ashby’s new Sister ‘Serra Talisman’, a collaboration with her friends Celia Foot and Sophie Salisbury of lifestyle brand Reia, is a prime example. The limited-edition ceramic vessel (there are just 100 pieces available) is conceived as collectable art. It is crafted in Stoke-on-Trent and embellished with motifs inspired by mythical symbolism. Intended to be used as a trinket box, it has a lid that doubles as a well for Reia’s bespoke scent, ‘Serra’. This was developed in collaboration with an aromatherapist and natural fragrance specialist, and is presented with the vessel as a 30ml scent bottle. A few drops release an uplifting fragrance with notes of cypress, vetiver and bergamot. The vessel (£130) is part of Reia’s home collection and is also available from Sophie Ashby. reia.store | studioashby.com
