The LA home of BODHA's Emily L'Ami
Images by Monroe Alvarez
This week we meet with BODHA co-founder Emily L'Ami at her effortless abode, tucked away in the hills of Los Angeles. The perfumer resides with husband (and fellow BODHA creator) Fred in Pasadena in a revamped 1950s ranch-style home fringed with greenery. With its soothing decor and adjoining work studio, the space is a self-created sanctuary for the creative couple. This week we spoke with Emily about good design, rituals, and the enduring power of scent.
“We live in Pasadena, Los Angeles. In 2021, we renovated a 1950s ranch-style house and built our dream BODHA studio - it's been life-changing. We wanted to create a place that feels like a sanctuary, so we focused on ensuring every space looks onto views of green. We've planted one side of the land; next, we'll plant a big scent garden so people can smell the perfume materials from plant to bottle."
Emily & Fred's bed is dressed with IN BED Oversized Hemp, Linen & Cotton Bedcover in Walnut, and Linen Fitted Sheet in White.
“Our most precious piece is an artwork that friends and family gave us as a wedding present. It's a big close-up photo of a rock by a New Zealand artist, so it's also a reminder of home. We've lived in a few different countries over the years, and it's helped us hone in on the pieces we love enough to bring them with us again and again. It's always the things made by people we know or mementos from our travels.”
We've lived in a few different countries over the years, and it's helped us hone in on the pieces we love enough to bring them with us again and again..
“Our bedroom is a little oasis. It has windows and french-doors that open out onto the garden. My favorite thing is drinking coffee and reading in bed with the garden breeze floating in, especially when there's a chill in the air, and I'm warm under the covers.”
“Growing up, my parents were into things like yoga, and I enjoyed the associated rituals, like lighting incense for their morning practice. I studied aromatherapy, the therapeutic science of scent. Then I went to perfume school, where the idea for BODHA clicked because I saw a way to combine the creativity and structure of perfumery with the science of scent.”
“We created BODHA to inspire people to live a more sensory life. Of all the senses, scent significantly influences our emotions because it bypasses our thinking mind and goes straight to our subconscious. It's so primal and mysterious, and the next frontier in the science of the body-mind connection.
"Bringing BODHA to life is an endless process. My husband and I do everything from creating the scents to designing the packaging. It means so much to us to share something we care about with others. I'm grateful to do this work every single day.”
We created BODHA to inspire people to live a more sensory life.
“Good design is a form of care. Something made with intentionality resonates differently; it's a form of unspoken communication between the maker and the end user. When we're designing something for BODHA, we're thinking about how we want you to feel when you use it. Every sensory detail sends a message to your subconscious. We're hoping you can tune into that moment, pause and enjoy.”
Good design is a form of care. Something made with intentionality resonates differently; it's a form of unspoken communication between the maker and the end user.
Emily & Fred's bed is dressed with Hemp, Linen & Cotton Pillowslips in Walnut, and Linen Pillowslip Set in White.
“I love lighting our Smokeless Ritual Incense while I make coffee in the morning - coffee and incense is a great scent combo! Before I go to sleep, I use one of our Vibration Perfume Oils. It might seem odd to people to use perfume before bed, but I see it as sending a message to myself about how I'd like to feel.”
“We're getting ready to launch our new perfume, Moon Vibration. It's been elusive to create because I wanted it to connect you with the feelings and energies of the Moon as well as it's tactility and textures. It took me 149 trials, but we finally got there!"
