“What do you do for a living?” “Where do you live?” “What did you study?” We all know the usual icebreakers. A more creative question -- and sometimes a more revealing one -- is: “What’s your favorite smell?” So rarely is the answer SJP’s Lovely, or Gaultier’s Le Male. More likely, with a bit of reflection, the response comes along the lines of “west Texas, where I grew up” or “my boyfriend’s skin” or even “gasoline, lavender, and Bounce dryer sheets.” Christopher Brosius, the “nose” who founded Demeter (and left before it started doing all those bizarre Jelly Belly-flavored scents), has made this literal take on scents the ethos of his company, CB I Hate Perfume. His range of accords -- “single scents that capture very specific smells” -- runs from Basil (Sweet, Holy, and Bitter varieties) to Mint Tea to Doll Head.

Perfumes also wear their creativity on their sleeves, with names like Memory of Kindness, Burning Leaves, and At The Beach 1966. Less intense versions of some favorite perfumes are available as home sprays. (We figured Brosius wouldn’t be one to light candles and stink up his Williamsburg apartment like a Yankee Candle Company outlet.) His tips on scenting your home:

● “The scent should be subtle, not that apparent. When someone walks in your house, you want the reaction to be: ‘Oh, it smells good.’ Not: ‘What’s that smell?’ ”

● “You can spray my home scents on curtains, upholstery, lampshades ... Mist them lightly on any fabric. The scent will last until the next time the fabric’s cleaned.”

● “In the summer, you can spray curtains with CB Outside, my perfume that repels insects. That way you can keep the windows open and mosquitoes won’t fly in.”

● “CB93 is my signature in the summer; I wear it and I use it in my studio. I also really love Under the Arbor for warm weather. In the fall, try something a little darker, like The Fir Tree. And In the Library I’ll use year-round.”

● “Before I have guests over I’ll spray down the place with a home scent, but I rarely use a different scent than normal. This is my place! But for special occasions I might change it up. For holiday parties I love Walking in the Air -- it’s the scent of snow.”