All the Right Notes: the scents and sounds of Stephanie Hannington-Suen’s home in Leyton, east London
As soon as we step into Stephanie Hannington-Suen’s terraced house in Leyton, east London, she greets us with a bowl of juicy cherries and some ice-cold water. It’s a hot summer’s day, but her home feels cool, with a breeze flowing in through the open back door. The smell is fresh and light, with a hint of cut grass. But there’s also another scent mingling in the air, which is somewhat more earthy. “It’s called The Woods. It’s one of my favourites.” Stephanie smiles, describing the burning essential oil from her natural fragrance and skincare brand. “It really brings the outdoors in.” Here, she tells contributing writer Cat Sarsfield how she’s reconnected with her heritage through Homework and why she finds delight in muddier notes.
What smell reminds you of home?
Herbal tea brewing on the kitchen counter. It’s an acquired taste – it smells sort of like boiling mud. I scoop Chinese herbs into a pot with cold water and bring it to the boil. I let it simmer for 40 minutes and then, after, I am left with two cups of brown water. I really love it.
When did you start exploring scent?
It began when I did a foundation course at Edinburgh College of Art. In the first year, we were all encouraged to experiment with lots of different mediums ahead of the degree, so I did one project all around scent. I had previously been studying chemistry and I wanted to look at it through a scientific lens. I created an installation comprised of beakers filled with different natural ingredients, such as fresh tomato vines and dried spices and flowers. I’d always felt that connection between memory and nostalgia and scent.
At the time, I was entering a different period of my life, having just left home in Manchester, and it felt like my way of connecting, or reconnecting, with my past. And since then, moving to London, exploring scent through Homework has felt like me trying to find a way to do that with my Chinese heritage, which I found hard growing up in the UK. It’s been a great way for me to share my family’s stories, recipes and knowledge.
Is there a smell that feels particularly totemic of your childhood?
My parents dealt with a lot of Chinese herbs when I was younger as they ran their own acupuncture and herbal medicine clinic in Manchester, where they immigrated from China in 1984. The smells of the herbs were really earthy and woody – even a bit muddy. Because they’d run the clinic for years, that smell was just infused in my dad’s car. It’s so strong and distinct.
I often think about the Korean dishes my mum would cook growing up. Was that connection between nostalgia and scent the reason you started Homework?
I’ve always been interested in scent. I always loved lighting candles and interacting with fragrances to make the space very atmospheric, especially in the evenings. That’s what inspired me to give it a go. Candles and essential oils have become really popular, especially over the last couple of years. I think that’s because we all crave a sense of escapism. Fragrance allows us to create different narratives for each part of the day.
However, the name Homework comes from the need to find balance between home and work. It’s very much in line with the TCM theory of yin and yang too – that every object consists of two opposite aspects, which conflict and are interdependent.
How does someone who creates scents for a living bring fragrance into her own home?
It’s funny – at work we don’t really have any scents burning in the studio, which is in the Design District in Greenwich, south-east London, but as we make everything in-house we are surrounded by lots of essential oils. In contrast, when we come home, it’s nice to unwind with a scent burning. The Woods, for instance, really signals a homecoming ritual to me. It’s very grounding, with notes of pine, cedar, ho leaf and patchouli.
Can you tell us a bit about the candle Homework created for The Modern House?
We drew upon a Chinese ritual that translates in English to “bow to the four corners”. It’s one I perform in almost every new space I step into as a way of cleansing it, to welcome the spirits and let them know you’ve arrived. We have top notes of citrus fruits and figs that represent the food offerings to the spirits, then a woody base of sandalwood and Chinese cedar to recreate the burning incense, which cleanses the space. Clove bud and black pepper bring spice, while ho leaf offers fresh green notes symbolising a new beginning.
Finally, do you have a favourite smell?
It has to be the Bai San candle from Homework. It’s named after another Chinese ritual that offers respect to ancestors. My dad has always said we need to carry it on because it’s somewhat dying, which is why it means a lot to me.
“I sought to create a playlist that will inspire listeners in different ways. There are songs that evoke joy and nostalgia, as well as more calming sounds. I also wanted to highlight a number of East and South-East Asian artists – past and present.”
L’uomo Invisible by Fuga Ronto
Future Perfect by The Durutti Column
Gutaris Breeze (6000km to Amsterdam) by John Beltran
Lone Swordsman by Daniel Avery
Xiu – 宫廷 version by Yu Su, Knopha
Patterns by Suse Milemann
Another Time by Sui Zhen
Going to America by Cheng Qiong Mei
Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale – 2015 by Love
Love’s Calling by Womack & Womack
Good Companion by Chopstick Sisters
Natural Mystic by Bob Marley & Wailers
Dreams by Richie Havens
心聲 by FeiFei Ou-Yang
Leaving by D.K.
Blue by Tanzmuzik
Mary Louise Lefante by Palmbomen II
Halcyon and On and On by Orbital
Hold on to It – Jonny Nash Remix by B.J. Smith, Jonny Nash
Are We Really Doing This? by No Moon
Xtal by Aphex Twin
Nami by Meitei
Broken Clouds by Gaussian Curve
Tree Synthesisers by Jonny Greenwood
A Circular Ceremony by Steve Roach
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