Interior Designer Sara Bengur Launches Home Sprays for Wellness – WWD

In a world that’s seems increasingly fraught, there’s a new collection of home sprays on the market developed to create inner peace and wellness.

“It’s like acupuncture for the home,” is how interior designer Sara Bengur describes her Vastu Room Sprays and the ancient Indian philosophy of Vastu, the basis for the sprays. Bengur is certified in Vastu, a healing art based on arranging man-made environments to align with nature and the cardinal directions to improve the energy of a home, with the aim of helping people to work, sleep and live better.

The five Vastu sprays each have a Sanskrit designation and their own intended effects. The ingredients are all organic. “The sprays diffuse their sacred alchemy in every environment to elevate and invite a happier you,” Bengur said.

Along with Subhakshi, an Australia-based brand of scents founded by Lucia Gill, Bengur developed the Vastu Room Sprays. Gill is also a devotee of Vastu. The two spent many seasons at Sri Nayayani Peedam, a spiritual center in Tamil Nadu, India, and with their spiritual teacher Sri Sakthi Ama. They define their mission as “creating products to help people feel more peaceful and grounded in a world of challenges.”

Bengur started her company, Sara Bengur Interiors, in New York in 1993. It’s a high-end design firm that specializes in residential projects. She often works with architects and has a flair for color and texture.

Her sprays were launched on Valentine’s Day this year, on Sarabengur.com, and are available in 100-ml. bottles for $72; 50-ml. for $36, and the set of five 50-ml. bottles for $150. The large sprays are sold individually, and the small sprays can either be sold individually or as a set of five. “I think buying the set to try all the scents is the best way to start using them. Then if there is a particular element that resonates most, buy the larger bottle.”

In the following Q&A, Bengur discusses her motivation for creating home sprays and the science of Vastu.

WWD: What inspired you to create a collection of home scents, at this particular time?

Sara Bengur: Post pandemic and with all the upheaval in the world, I find people are more anxious and need their homes to embrace and support them more than ever. The home sprays created with the principles of Vastu are meant to help relieve some of the stress that can build up in a home from imbalances in energy. I clear and balance spaces with Vastu but these sprays can be part of a personal tool box to elevate one’s own space.

WWD: Have you done home scents before?

S.B.: I have not but have always been very sensitive to smell in environments and aware of how the scent of a space can affect me.

WWD: Interesting that you describe the collection as like “acupuncture for the home,” can you elaborate on that?

S.B.: The science of Vastu is to remove energy blocks and disharmony in the home and is based on the cardinal directions and five elements. We created five sprays each representing one of the five elements — and each element is associated with a cardinal direction [that] in turn affects different aspects of our lives, i.e., the northeast direction is the water element related to expansion and abundance in work and our spiritual lives. By using the spray in this part of your home, it can remove negativity and help manifest these intentions. The sprays were created with quartz, organic oils and ancient alchemic techniques that hold sacred energy to help clear the space and raise the vibration and frequency. We have actually tested these sprays in comparison to plain water and the results were remarkable in terms of the energy the sprays emit and their healing powers.

WWD: What is the desired effect of each of the five sprays?

S.B.: Each of the five names is based on the name of the element in Sanskrit: Vayu is the air element and can be used in the northwest part of your home to attract positive relationships and peace of mind and emotional well-being. Jala is the water element and can be used in the northeast part of your home to enhance spiritual and material growth and for meditation to help manifest intentions and affirmations. Agni is the fire element and can be used in the southeast part of your home to help with smooth transitions in life and increase vital energy. Bhu Devi is the earth element and can be used in the southwest part of your home to help with grounding ourselves and attracting support from family and friends and the universe. Akasha is the space element and can be used in the center of the home and promotes harmonious flow and prosperity through cleansing and removing obstacles.

WWD: What are some of the key ingredients in the sprays?

S.B.: In Agni, there’s rose and tigereye gem essence. In Bhu Devi, there’s the frankincense and obsidian gem essence; Jala has essence of sandalwood and amethyst; Vayu, essence of jasmine and celestite, and in Akasha, there’s the scent of clary sage and clear quartz essence.

WWD: How would you best characterize the Sara Bengur Interiors business, and its range of services?

S.B.: My business has been mostly focused on residential interior design over the years. It is a passion of mine to help people create an environment that reflects who they are and how they live. The design process in a way becomes like a journey of self-discovery; I love my clients to be very involved. I also like to collaborate with architects to form a team and inspire each other. I am also certified in Vastu and work with clients to clear and balance their homes. I design products mostly inspired and based on my travels, as well as create custom pieces for my clients.