When it comes to design, Carolina Hane’s focus has always been on the experience.
“When you walk into a cool space, there's a lot of things going on and most people don't understand what it is. They just feel something,” said Hane, longtime interior design director at Trio Architecture and founder of CASA by CH, an extension of Trio creating luxury fragrances and scenting systems for the home and office. “It is the colours, it’s the lighting, it’s the music, it’s the fragrance. When we complete a project, we want it to be an experience as a whole.”
Launched this year through interior design company Trio Architecture, based in Camana Bay, CASA’s six signature fragrances – one of which is seasonal – are exclusive to the Cayman Islands. They’re available as diffusers and candles but can also be used through scenting systems offered by CASA that can cover areas up to 6,000 square feet.
“[Fragrance] is the first thing you feel when you walk into a room, even before you’ve noticed anything in it,” Hane said. “I like to focus on the feeling of the space, and the scent has a big part in that,” she said.
The inspiration for CASA by CH came about 10 years ago following a simple trip to a hotel lobby.
“I was like, ‘I want that [scent] in my home,’” she said. “I want that feeling that I get when I get to a hotel or to a luxury boutique. Why can’t I have that in my house? So I started to do research.”
She began by learning about the scent systems used by hotels and retailers and when she finally found the right one, she began exploring fragrances.
“I didn’t really find anything that I really liked, so I started developing my own,” Hane said.
Working with a U.S.-based fragrance house, she told them what she was looking for and the company began creating different options. They tweaked and refined the fragrances from there. CASA’s fragrances are created sustainably and don’t include harmful ingredients, according to the company's website. The company can help program machines (which can be put on a schedule to your liking) and can deliver fragrances as well.
For Trio, launching and partnering with CASA is the next step in the company’s growth. Trio, which moved to Camana Bay seven years ago, started as two staffers and has since grown to 13 architects, designers and engineers providing a variety of architecture and design services. Working with trusted partners with an aligned vision allows for greater efficiency and a polished end product.
“We want to be able to provide a service that designs the whole thing in a holistic way, in a harmonious way,” said Trio founder Mike Stroh, who added that clients often become friends because Trio’s staff work so closely to tailor their home to their needs.
“The end of the story is to be able to provide the owner with a with the whole experience. We're not just creating a space for somebody to live a few years. We're creating the space where people are growing their families.”
This article was originally published in the May 2023 print edition of Camana Bay Times.