The perfume bar at Olfactory House has scents under glass cloches. Coffe beans sit nearby to cleanse the scent.
About Olfactory House

Creation with Purpose.
Rooted in Scent.

At Olfactory House, perfume is more than a product, it’s bottled intention with its own language. We create adventurous fragrances that speak to sense memory, mood, and place, using natural ingredients, botanical distillates, and our own proprietary blends.  Scent has the power to connect and communicate to the past, through the future, and in the present.

We are a women and veteran-owned independent perfume house with a flagship retail location in Seattle, WA, and a growing community online. Our full collection includes perfumes, body moisturizer and balms, shampoo and conditioner, room sprays, and candles, all thoughtfully formulated and produced in-house. From sourcing raw materials to bottling the final product, every step is done by hand with intention and integrity.

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Fragance-Obsessed Minds

A Collaboration
Written in the Stars

Olfactory House was born from a chance meeting between Erica Messenger and Laurajean Lewis in the summer of 2021. Two fragrance-obsessed minds brought together by mutual friends and a shared passion for scent. What began as a conversation on the banks of the Puget Sound quickly bloomed into much more..

In 2022, Olfactory House opened its doors. Founded on a deep respect for nature, science, and story, the brand merges Erica’s creative artistry, perfumery training, and advertising and marketing expertise and Laurajean’s doctorate in biogeography and master botanical distillation expertise. Every scent is the result of this rare collaboration. Creative intuition melding with scientific precision.

Read more about Erica and Laura
Copper equipment from Olfactory House used to distill some of their proprietary scents.
Our Process

Transparent by Design

We formulate all of our fragrances ourselves. No mystery blends, no outsourcing, and no unnecessary fillers. While commercial perfumeries often hide behind synthetic formulas and secrecy, we invite curious minds. We control the process from start to finish; blending, packaging and shipping from our labs to your hands.

Working with raw materials that are natural, sustainable, and as local as possible, powers us toward our long-term vision to include growing and distilling plants for our own use and to offer those raw products to other wholesalers and perfumers. This upcoming phase will allow us to close the loop and bring even more of our process in-house.

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Meet the Founders

A watercolor portrait by Carol Reiman of Erica Messenger, Perfumer and co-founder of Olfactory House.

Erica Messenger

Perfumer & Co-Founder

Erica’s lifelong fascination with fragrance began in childhood and evolved into a deeply personal and professional pursuit. With a BS in Advertising and Public Relations, certifications in integrative nutrition and mindfulness, and eight years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Erica brings a rare blend of structure, creativity, and sensory awareness to her role as perfumer.

Her early exposure to natural aromatics, through wellness spaces and hands-on experimentation, sparked a commitment to creating scents that are as evocative as they are clean and conscious. Her work is rooted in minimalist formulation and sustainable practices, with a focus on using fragrance as a vehicle for storytelling, memory, and connection.

At Olfactory House, Erica leads product development and fragrance formulation, drawing on her diverse experience to create olfactory experiences that invite reflection, curiosity, and ritual.

A watercolor portrait by Carol Reiman of Laurajean Lewis, Distiller and co-founder of Olfactory House.

Laura Lewis

Distiller & Co-Founder

A biogeographer, distillation expert, and co-founder of Olfactory House, Laura has spent her career exploring the intersections of agriculture, biodiversity, and natural systems. Her scientific expertise continues to guide Olfactory House’s botanical direction and its “seed to scent” philosophy of sustainability and transparency.

In addition to her work with Olfactory House, Laura now serves as Director of the Genetic Resources Program at CIMMYT, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Texcoco, Mexico. There, she leads global efforts to preserve and improve the world’s most diverse collections of maize and wheat.

Her work, both in fragrance and in food systems, reflects a lifelong commitment to nurturing biodiversity, supporting farmers, and creating sustainable pathways from seed to scent and seed to sustenance.

Amy Ogden

Brand & Communications Manager

Amy, owner of Drifting Art, brings an unconventional path to brand storytelling. She earned a culinary degree in 1995 and a graphic design degree in 2002, then spent a year traveling by van with her husband before settling in the US Virgin Islands, where she built a full-time web design career. Food, design, and a year spent slowing down on the road each taught her something different, and together they shape how she approaches every brand she works with.

At Olfactory House, she oversees email marketing, social media, website management, and copywriting, bridging storytelling and strategy to ensure every message reflects the belief that scent is connection, memory, and experience.

Amy works closely with Erica and Laura to shape launches, seasonal narratives, and long-term brand direction. Guided by the belief that people buy the reason behind the work, not just the work itself, she's helping build a culture that invites curiosity and learning, supporting not just how Olfactory House is seen, but how it's experienced.