ROMANCING THE HOME
Feb 11, 2006
Little touches around the house boost that love connection
by WENDY DAHLE
Special to The Herald
Not going out to celebrate Valentine's Day? Why not try setting the stage for romance at home? All it takes are a few little touches around the house.
"There are simple things you can do that aren't expensive," said Mary Skaggs, interior designer and owner of Alexander Christian Interiors of Bradenton. "And the little things mean so much more."
Skaggs suggests decorating the home to "make a person feel special," because taking someone out of their daily routine can be very romantic.
"To me it's more of an attitude," Skaggs said. "It puts you in the mood."
Romantic settings
Sometimes couples with children can't get out of the house, so they have to be creative in the house, said Lisa Daily, a romance columnist who lives in Sarasota and wrote the popular dating book, "Stop Getting Dumped."
"Re-creating the moments that were special to the two of you goes a long way," she said. "If you believe that place will make you more romantic, it will."
And the little things sometimes don't take a lot of effort, said Daily. The key thing is to try something new and different.
She suggests making a Valentine's Day date in the bedroom or having a romantic dinner at home. Move the romantic dinner out onto the lanai, set up a small table in front of the fireplace, or into the center of the living room.
"Revving up your relationship means putting some effort into it," Daily said. "Sometimes it's just thinking in a romantic way."
Dress up as though going out and dress up the dinner table, too, said Daily and Skaggs. Cover the table with a red runner or tablecloth, use special placemats just for this occasion, or wrap the table in a sheer lace fabric gathered in the center with a red bow. Or for a different look altogether, sprinkle a white tablecloth with flower petals, or heart-shaped red or gold glitter.
Dressing up the table
Everything on the Valentine's dinner table should look "pretty" and romantic, so don't skimp on details, said Skaggs. Don't use paper plates, even if they are red or have hearts on them.
Bring out the polished silver flatware, candlesticks, trays, or serving pieces for a special touch. Add a red, pink, silver, or gold bow to the napkins, and tuck a flower under the bow.
"Definitely use all of your best dishes and linens because romance is a state of being," said Skaggs. "It would put you in a different mood."
This is not the time to scrimp, so get out the good crystal glassware or serve beverages in tall, delicate glass champagne flutes, said Coral Nafie, an interior decorator who writes online articles on the subject of decorating to enhance romance. Embellish the flutes with a pretty flower tied on with red ribbon or a red or gold bow, she added.
Tie helium-filled balloons in reds, pinks and whites to a railing or float them above the dining table, suggests Coral Nafie, an interior decorator who has written online articles on the subject of decorating to enhance romance. She also ties red ribbons and bows from Christmas onto the chandelier or light fixture, and strings heart-shaped Valentine garland over a chair where that special someone sits.
"Valentine's Day can be special and memorable only if you do some fun things to make it that way," she said.
Chris Casson Madden, author and host of the Home & Garden Television show "Interiors by Design," suggests using paper heart doilies, the kind found at discount or craft stores, to line a bread basket, to use as coasters under wine glasses or to use as a stencil to make heart-shaped designs on cakes or flat desserts.
The scent of love
Enhance rooms with lots of romantic and stimulating scents, said Skaggs and Daily. Skaggs prefers using flowers or candles that smell like lilac or lavender.
Daily suggests baking something with lots of vanilla and cinnamon, or wearing something scented with vanilla or cinnamon. A University of Chicago study found men associate those two fragrances with love, she said.
Valentine's Day is a time for setting the mood, so Daily suggests the holiday meal be a reminder of a special time during the relationship. Don't spend the night cooking. Get carryout or plan the meal ahead of time.
"Maybe make a meal that was the same as your first Valentine's Day," she said.
Moving to the bedroom
Continue that romantic feeling from the dinner table into the bedroom by giving the bedroom "a red hot makeover," said sisters Kitty and Jennifer O'Neil, authors of "Decorating with Funky Shui." Start by moving the bed to a different location for the night, like angling it in a corner "to create a dynamic tension."
Remove all of the distractions and most unromantic items from the bedroom - like televisions, computers, kids' toys, self-help books and dirty laundry. Eliminating distractions makes the room more comfortable and sensual, they said.
Add a new bedspread to the bed, said lovebirds Michael and Barbara Jonas, authors of "The Book of Love, Laughter and Romance," and one of People magazine's most romantic couples. Then, put some massage oil, a feather and a satin blindfold on the night table and hang a "do not disturb sign" on the door.
Some romance experts suggest putting lots of pillows on the bed to make it more inviting. Daily suggests throwing fresh flower petals on the bed.
"That's a really romantic thing to do," she said.
Soften the lighting
Lighting is very important when trying to set a mood, too, not just in the bedroom, but everywhere in the house, the experts said. Dim the lights, light the fireplace or light candles to create seductive lighting. Nothing creates a romantic feel like candles, said Skaggs.
"It warms the room," she said. "It brings in an element of heat and passion."
Because they are portable, candles can be placed on bedside tables, window sills and stairs. They can be clustered in the center of the dining table. They can offer soft light in the bedroom or along the edge of the bathtub.
"I think candles are a wonderful way to rev up a romance and everybody looks better in candlelight," said Daily.
If candles seem too dangerous, try a "Mood-lite," a 25-watt colored light bulb that is "must-have" item, according to New York Magazine.
Special touches
Don't forget to dress up the bed beneath the covers. Although red sheets would probably be the most appropriate color for Valentine's Day, rich browns are just as romantic, said Skaggs. And it's not always necessary to use silk sheets either, she added. Quality cotton or linen sheets are just as nice.
"You don't have to have the $1,000 sheets," she said. "Silk is romantic, but it's high maintenance."
Add some other special touches to the bedroom, too, like chocolates, champagne, strawberries or romantic reading, said Anne Landers of Savannah, Ga., owner of The Gastonian, a bed-and-breakfast inn where couples often celebrate engagements, weddings and anniversaries. It's something she always does for her inn guests.
"We put a little basket on the bed with six chocolates and a little book of love poetry," she said.
Flowers, flowers, flowers
Flowers almost always say romance on Valentine's Day, and can be put almost anywhere, said the experts. Flowers can be romantically placed on each step of a stairway or lined along a mantle.
A dramatic arrangement accented with red roses can be placed in the center of the dinner table or put a single rose by itself or in a bud vase at each place setting, suggests Skaggs.
Nafie also recommends putting a small vase of fresh flowers on the bathroom counter or bedside table. Or instead of fresh, try a potted flowering plant that can be decorated with a pretty fabric or lace, and festive red ribbon.
Skaggs advises if giving flowers, try to find ones that have unique meaning to that special person. Traditionally, long-stemmed, red roses are the most popular, but flowers such as carnations, tulips and the smaller miniature roses are gaining popularity these days.
Or if fresh flowers are too expensive, opt for the silk kind, which can be found at most discount retailers, said Skaggs.
Valentine's Day can be special when accented with special touches that don't have to be elaborate, said Skaggs. Laying a single flower on the special person's bed pillow after turning down the sheets almost always says romance.
"If my husband would turn the sheets down and lay a flower on the pillow, it would mean so much," she said.
