Romancing the home

Romance at home needn't be limited to Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve or your anniversary. With very little effort, your home can be permeated with playfulness and passion. It can be as effortless as making small changes to routine, adding simple accessories such as candles and luxurious fabric or intensifying the mood with delicious fragrance and food.

Why not eat dinner beside the fireplace instead of in the kitchen? Linger over breakfast served in bed? Drink from your best crystal instead of the everyday glasses? Take a sexy shower together?

Here are a few other suggestions:

1. Remove the distractions - Hide the computer and turn off the TV - these are the destroyers of romance. If you have young children, get a lock for the bedroom door!
2. Bask in Warm Colours - Soft, warm colour adds comfort to a home. By eliminating contrast, minimizing overt pattern, and incorporating sensual fabrics such as velvet, silk, and cashmere you can create a space that is soothingly seductive. For walls, choose warm paint colours such as ICI's Soft Off-White, a rich cream with a dollop of putty or Farrow & Balls Dimity, a soft shell tone with hints of pink, or Benjamin Moore's Monroe Bisque HC-26, a delicious camel.
3. Upholstered Walls - Lush fabrics and sensual textiles create a relaxing and romantic aura. Upholster your walls in smooth fabrics with high sheen such as taffeta, or opt for decadent luxe fabrics such as wool damask. Not only do the upholstered walls disguise badly damaged walls, but the treatment will also act to soften sound within the space.
4. Lighting - Flattering light equals renewed confidence as the clothing comes off. Eliminate overhead lighting (which I affectionately refer to as "hag lighting") wherever possible. Instead, opt for sconces, table lamps, and floor lamps which provide a warm glow at eye level. Trust me, it's better than a face lift. Of course, firelight is also romantic. No fireplace? Display a variety of candles and light them all!
5. Sexy Music - Put on some soft music. Rod Stewart's romantic covers are an easy choice. Canadian artists who play to please - Sarah MacLachlan, Jann Arden, Blue Rodeo, and Amy Sky.
6. Bathroom Touches - Maximize romance in a room that has a tendency to be all business - the bathroom. Surround the tub with beautiful accessories such as a beautiful bowl filled with loofahs and lotions. Add scented candles, fragrant soaps, fresh flowers (or a rosemary plant which smells divine) and, for true glamour, a crystal chandelier. Thick and luxurious bath towels are a must.
7. Sensual scents - Find out what turns you on - is it the fragrance of flowers or citrus? Perhaps your partner prefers the smell of a warm apple crisp? Treat yourself to a lightly-scented massage oil or fragrant body lotion. Avoid heavy room-scents which are cloying. Opt for scented candles instead.
8. Sensuous Foods - Some of my friends claim that the kitchen is the sexiest room in the house. Remember that scene from 9 1/2 weeks? Champagne, chocolate-dipped strawberries, lychee fruit, chocolate mousse, or raspberries with cream are all excellent choices for kicking up the romance meter a notch.