From scented candles to aerosol sprays, the home fragrance market is filled with sweet-smelling devices that have found their way into many an interior. Our attraction to  aromatic objects—or more specifically, to their soothing effects—has to do with the nature of smell itself. The sense has a direct line to our limbic system, the part of the brain involved with emotion and memory. Scents such as bergamot, lavender, and lemon prompt the brain to release serotonin and dopamine, creating a feeling of calm. But some of the bouquets emanating from residential air fresheners are synthetic, and in certain cases, bad for the environment. What if there was a better, more beautiful way?

California-based designer Brad Golden suggests Drip, his spare, naturally scented sculpture that works without the use of combustion, chemicals, or electricity. It consists of a hand-carved, wall-mounted wood dispenser from which hang four strings of birch beads that have been treated with essential oils—cedar, balsam fir, citrus, sage, and vetiver—and that emit an intentionally understated savor. “The sculpture creates a background scent for the atmosphere of your home,” Golden says. “So if you enjoy incense as part of a ritual, like I do, the scents won’t compete against each other because Drip is so subtle.” Catching a whiff of the bouquet, he continues, is akin to the olfactory experience of waking up in a cabin in the woods.

Drip comes with the four bead strands already connected to the sculpture, plus a jar of the oils containing four more marinating inside. Optimal absorption takes about three weeks, by which time the perfume of the exposed beads will have just begun to fade, enabling one to always have freshly steeped orbs on hand to swap in. Aside from their reusability, the beads are versatile, too: To bring the aroma to another part of the house, simply de-string the spheres, and place them in a bowl or on a tray. They’ll work their magic from there.