The domain of the senses has developed apace in social sciences, and the notion of ambiance is becoming increasingly present in this field of research. Although numerous bodies of work deal explicitly with ambiances, very few of them identify the primary sources and major roots of this notion. This paper presents three perspectives which establish the notion of ambiance: historical semantic, existential psychopathology, and phenomenological aesthetics. The aim of this paper is to point out its issues and its heuristic potential. This paper shows how the notion of ambiance helps to anchor the world of the senses in human experience and in dwelling spaces.