Photo by Caitlin Abrams
Nicole Crowder chats with Jen Knoch
Editor-at-large Nicole Crowder (left) chats with Jen Knoch inside the shop owner’s boutique, Senti, at Nolan Mains in Edina.
Tucked down a discreet cobblestone alley off Edina’s Nolan Mains at 50th & France sits a jewel box of a store, Senti, named for the imperative form of the French verb meaning “to feel.” We popped inside to meet up with its founder and shopkeeper, Jen Knoch, to talk about her trips to France and Spain and to learn about the world of distinct objects Knoch curates.
The location is so charming. It feels like you’ve stumbled upon a side street in Europe. Have you always wanted to run your own brick-and-mortar shop?
I had been doing pop-ups around the Cities with one of my fragrance lines, and my last pop-up was at Flirt Boutique nearby, and the developer, who had met me there, liked the concept of fine fragrances and approached me about space. I hadn’t thought of having my own space before, but once Pete, the developer, approached me, I was like, OK, let’s take this seriously! I love the location and I love this alleyway, so it made so much sense. I worked with Bodega, who did my branding and who I had worked for as a project manager with my background in marketing, so that felt like a natural partnership.
How do you go about curating and sourcing all your products?
With the original fragrance line, I had traveled to Grasse, France, in 2018 and connected with a perfumer [Jessica Buchanan, founder of 1000 Flowers, based in Grasse, and that really kind of started it and gave me some confidence in my passion for fragrance. And Jessica saw that and entrusted me with bringing her line here to Minneapolis. With that experience under my belt for a couple years, approaching other fragrance brands gave me some leverage. Each January, I close the shop for 10 days and travel to Europe. My approach is always exclusive—it’s very niche and small. I’m bringing the Twin Cities access to really artisanal brands that they won’t find anywhere else. So everything here I am sourcing from France, primarily, or Europe.
At little more than 300 square feet, your shop is chock-full of so much more than just fragrances. What’s the range of items people could expect to find, particularly for the home?
Since opening in February 2022, Senti has rotated in approximately 200 different brands and lines of products, mainly from Europe. Items I tend to encourage for home are those that add an elevated layer to the everyday—a utensil rest or Italian plate to hold that morning coffee spoon, a linen napkin to replace the paper, a candle plate or dish to hold candle tools as a reminder of their purpose. Even placing matchsticks in a beautiful porcelain coffee cup made in Turkey, hanging a mini masterpiece on your kitchen backsplash, or lighting a rainbow of colored tapers on a Tuesday night just because is all part of the sensory experience.
There is a distinct charm to the home décor you carry in your shop. Tell us a bit about how you decided on the aesthetic for the interior.
I didn’t plan to have as much vintage in the shop as I do today, but it resonates so well with the Senti shopper that it will be a mainstay. Also, there’s nothing like the character, texture, and life vintage pieces add to any space. And selfishly, I love the hunt of finding these gems, seeing the joy and spurred memories they bring, and knowing the new life the shopper will give them.
Can you offer some tips for how readers can create a “mood” at home, like candlelight or a scented candle or spray fragrance? What fragrances would you recommend for starting the day but also closing the day at home?
Fragrances are so personal, and the mood we’re seeking at different times of our day is just as personal. Some Senti shoppers find the slim, natural scented beeswax candles that burn just about an hour act as their “clock” to guide their morning meditation or family quiet time after dinner. For those seeking a scent mood ritual to start, end, or carry through their midday, it’s all about experimenting with what fragrances fit your mood. Senti carries different options for both candles that burn and scents that are sprays for those who can’t have or don’t want a burning scented option in their home. Senti also carries five room aroma sprays by Lula Curioca Olfactory Studio out of Mexico City—great to spray on bedding, sofa linens, pillows, and draperies.
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Transferware Platter
A few of Jen Knoch’s favorite things (some of which are available to buy in her shop):
Transferware platters, made by ceramist Jennifer Cranna Cahalan and inspired by the artist’s grandmother’s dishes, are dishwasher- and food-safe. $65.
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Room aroma sprays
Room aroma sprays by Lula Curioca Olfactory Studio are meant to spray on linens. $20 each.
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Grasse, France
Grasse, France, known as the perfume capital of the world, inspired Knoch’s shop, Senti.
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The Beauty of Time Travel
The Beauty of Time Travel by Ramdame Touhami is one of Knoch’s favorite books. The author reveals the creative process that revived one of Paris’s oldest apothecaries, Officine Universelle Buly. $65, magersandquinn.com
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Mini Masterpieces
Mini masterpieces bring the art of Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Degas to your home in 3-by-2-inch squares. $34 each.
Are there any trends you’ve noticed in terms of notes that are really popular with men or women?
I would say men are kind of a classic, as you can imagine: woody and the chypre family, which is more like mossy, earthy tones. They tend to gravitate toward that as well as some spices in the supra family. I do have some adventurous shoppers that are across the board. I have a couple guys who wear Narcotic Flowers, which I love.
For switching between occasions, which fragrances would you recommend for someone who may be going out to brunch but then also has a dinner date later in the evening?
What’s great about a current line I carry called Ilk, based in the UK, is it’s all about layering. They have done the work for us in taking two fragrances that work on their own but also work really well together. So it gives that opportunity of wearing one during the morning time, and then that’s still probably lingering on your skin, and in the evening the other layers come in.
Speaking of lingering on the skin, are there any tips for the best times and placements on the body to apply fragrances?
For sure. The best time is once you are out of the shower and you’re damp-dry so it’s moist. Apply to all those pulse points: your wrists, forearms, even behind your knees. I carry unscented lotions and oils because some people, especially this time of year, tend to be really dry, and that keeps in the moisture that’s going to hold the fragrance for longer.
What does scent mean for you personally?
To me it evokes a memory; it takes me somewhere. Whenever I travel, I always pick up a fragrance because it takes me back to that trip. It’s an accessory; it’s the last thing I put on.
Photo by Wing Ho
