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.
• 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
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.
• Inspiration from 18th-century botanical paintings
• The Sephora meeting that changed everything
• Perfume oils, a new way to wear fragrance
• Why fine fragrance took off during Covid
• Bamboo, the #1 bestseller for 32 years
• Naming fragrances in a different way
• Grapefruit and the “recipe” for a great cocktail party
• The secret behind NEST New York candles
• Converting to sustainable packaging
• Scenting 5th Avenue with the iconic Holiday scent
• A surprising Andy Cohen moment
• Lychee Rose, a stunning new rose fragrance
• Madagascar Vanilla, the perfume oil that went viral
• The best way to wear perfume oil
• Seville Orange, with hand-picked oranges
• How to layer scents
• What’s next for NEST New York
