Favorite Thing: Home Fragrance

How do you scent your home?

I was working on a post

of some of "my favorite things"

and as I was writing about one of the items ...

I realized it needed it's own post.

An Antique French Lampe Berger. Source

Do you know about
Lampe Berger catalytic diffusers?

(Most of my friends had never heard of these so just in

case you don't know about them,  I wanted to share

the secret of what makes my house smell wonderful!)

Antique Baccarat crystal Lampe Berger  Source

A Lampe Berger is a French fragrance lamp,

also known as a catalytic lamp diffuser,

and it disperses a mixture

of ozoalcohol and a scented perfume oil

using a heated stone attached to a cotton wick.
It scents your home and kills germs 
and bacteria in the air at the same time! 

Here's the official scoop.... in case you don't know about them:

In 1898, a Parisian pharmacist, Maurice Berger, began trying to find a process to purify and kill the bacteria in the air of hospitals and medical institutions. He discovered a way to burn ozoalcohol through a stone in a catalytic lamps that reduced the amount of bacteria and germs in the air. Through the years their initial purpose was changed when he realized that he could also add perfume scents to the mixture so a room not only was healthier, with less bacteria and germs,  but he could also scent the air at the same time. Thus the Lampe Berger was born, along with its unique and constantly improved process that has proven its efficiency over time.  Lampe Berger Lamp came to interest the greatest designers of the time: Lalique, Haviland,  Galle, the Daum crystal glass works and Baccarat . . .  Lampe Berger became a feature at the salons of the Belle Epoque, and the oil lamp developed a new function, adding fragrance – for scented oils that made Lampe Berge even more popular. This is a new model made by Limoges Haviland. Source You can collect the antique and vintage French bottles designed through the years by many, many famous designers. This is an antique lamp by Tharaud.  Source LAMP SOURCES You can buy copies of them many places, including Michael's craft stores if you don't want to invest in a Lampe Berger lamp. They all perform the same function. Source FRAGRANCE OIL SOURCES There are several companies that provide fragrant oils also. I have bought them at gift shops, online, through Ebay stores, and Pier One has a line as well. There is a company called La-Tee-Da that has a nice collection of scents for lamps too. Here is why I love them: I am a scented candle junkie .... but they are dangerous and I occasionally leave my open flame unattended. (Two friends had house fires from votives burning.... yikes.) With these lamps, you light the stone for just two minutes to heat the stone to the temperature you need to diffuse the liquid in the wick. Then you blow it out. Allow it to dissipate for 20-30 minutes and then cap it off..... or not?  It will scent most of my entire home. No kidding.  If I forget to put the top on... no big deal. You can leave your house without ever worrying that you left an open flame candle burning. (And when you get home, your house will smell heavenly!) It kills germs in the air. When we are sick in the winter and can't open all the doors and windows to let the germs out.... I burn the lamp. I can't tell you how much I love this thing. They come in all shapes and sizes to match ANY decor. Source Antique Lampe Berger. Source www.laprovence.uk.co Funky or  contemporary to traditional and everything in between. Dozens of scents to choose from. Do you have one? If not, try one and let me know how much you love it! By the way..... French Lavender is my most favorite scent to burn. And OH HOW I WISH this were a paid for endorsement for Lampe Berger. but it is not. I'm just one of their biggest fans sharing their great little French secret with you. :)