With a few notable exceptions, much of the home fragrance space is dominated by floral and fruity scents, often housed in colorful vessels to match. If you’re more drawn to the smell of pine trees after rain or salty ocean waves on moss, though, your options just got a bit more varied. Norlan wants to bring the olfactory joys of Scotch country to your home and its Vam Monolith Diffuser promises to do so with style.
The Vam Monolith Diffuser is as reminiscent of 20th-century Brutalist architecture as it is a futuristic work of post-modernism. Silicone carbide ceramic foam (often used to create industrial metal) makes up the porous cube that rests on an aluminum base. At a glance, it looks like a hefty paperweight or a potential murder weapon in Clue, but it only weighs about a pound.
Ceramics have been a part of aromatic diffusion since ancient civilizations began boiling and stowing the first perfumes. Here, the branches of this ceramic foam weave throughout the cube to allow for both surface area for oil absorption and airflow for scent dispersal.
But what scents, you might ask? Norlan also released three Vam Terrain Fragrances to go along with this striking cube. Sticking to their whisky roots, the company naturally drew inspiration from Scottish vistas.
“On my journey through Scotland I experienced breathtaking landscapes – walking through Islay, the Highlands, and Skye, the different vegetation, odors, colors, and images left a lasting imprint on my soul,” said master perfumer and Vam collaborator Mark Buxton. “I worked with [creative director Sruli Recht] to capture the elements of these experiences in the Vam Fragrance and transport the individual to another place through the powerful sense of smell.”
The Highlands fragrance brings dense pine forests and fresh, running water to mind while the Islay fragrance carries notes of peated smoke and salty ocean water. The Skye fragrance evokes the smell of crisp flora carried on the wind. These scents are added to the cube via included droppers and take roughly twenty minutes to extend throughout a space.
You can display the Vam Monolith Diffuser in your home or office by pre-ordering one for $175. The cubes and fragrances ship in late November, just in time for the holidays. Each fragrance runs $95 per 50-milliliter bottle, but you can buy 1.5-milliliter samples for $5 each for immediate delivery.
