Make your home a romantic haven for Valentine’s Day

We love Valentine’s Day. It’s a perfect excuse to enjoy some quality time with your ‘better half’.

Valentine's day this year is on Wednesday - 14 February, of course. There's still time to plan if you've not got it all sorted already.

We have trawled the internet for tips on making your day a success.

While the origins of Valentine’s Day are shrouded in the mysteries of Roman and early Christian history, the traditions we follow today began in the 18th century and were refined by the Victorians.

Cards became popular in the early 19th century but when Sir Rowland Hill introduced the Penny Post in 1840, sales of Valentine’s cards rocketed. And later chocolate maker Cadbury’s introduced fancy gift boxes for chocolate.

Now, Valentine’s Day is more popular than ever. In 2016 in the UK we spent over £960 million on gifts, food and drink, cards and wrapping.

Although commercialised, the day can still provide a nice romantic interlude to the workaday grind.

Here a few ideas to help turn your home into a romantic haven.

• Create an atmosphere – use scented candles and diffusers.
• Lighting – heart shaped LED string lights
• Cushions and throws - we’ve talked about Hygge before – but creating a cosy environment to settle down with a favourite rom-com will make your evening.
• Rugs with a floral theme – try roses
• Table decorations and tea lights
• There are loads of ideas on Pinterest 
• If you’re planning an intimate evening at home with your significant other, no doubt a nice meal will come into the equation. Here are some great ideas for Valentine’s Day table decorations 
• If you need some inspiration for your menu have a look at Sainsbury’s

 If you don’t fancy staying at home why not go on a romantic day out. How about a walk on a windswept beach followed by lunch in a cosy pub or restaurant? Or visit a favourite historic location – English Heritage has a list of days out on its website.

The opportunities are endless.

Whatever you decide to do, we hope you have fun.