Valentine's Inspired Decor
Year-round Decorating Ideas Culled from Love's Favorite Holiday
Jan 19, 2008
Valentine’s Day is all about showing your love. Why not express your sentiments in new ways to decorate your home, the place you love to be? Even if you believe the holiday is too commercialized with all the candy, roses, and cartoon-themed embellishments, you’re bound to fall in love with some of these inspired ideas—no cupid, rose, or heart in sight.
Sweet Treat
While it may not be the top choice for the man of the house, decorating with pink and brown provides a feminine look that is sophisticated and not too girly, great for a romantic bedroom or baby nursery. Create a shell with rich chocolate paint on walls and a graphic rug in the same tone. Then, like a decadent raspberry truffle, fill the room with pink accents. Try a luxurious throw in a pastel tone at the foot of the bed or a sofa loaded with cozy pillows in various shades of pink. Cover a side chair or ottoman in one of many fabrics available in this pretty color combination or frame decorative paper (for walls or writing) for a twist on traditional artwork.
Red Hot
If you want a bolder statement, then red is the obvious color for decorating inspired by Valentine’s Day. According to the book, Color: Messages and Meanings, by Leatrice Eisman, red not only represents passion but also action. “Red suggests the very ebb and flow of life,” says Eisman. This makes red the ideal choice for hard-working spaces such as kitchens, home offices, and kids’ rooms. Warm up a kitchen with a brick-colored island, corral office supplies in ruby-hued containers, or go for fire engine red walls in your son’s room.
Small Touches
Even if you’re not looking to give an entire room the Valentine’s treatment, you can still incorporate small, elegant touches to remind you of the day. Create a focal point in a family room or along a staircase wall with a photo collage of those you love. Pick frames in the same color for a unified look. Though not a tactile decorative item, lighting really influences the look of a room and soft light from candles or pink-hued bulbs calls to mind a special dinner for two. Finally, this idea—perfect for a bathroom, laundry room, or mudroom—is reminiscent of the most beautiful of love notes. Use stencils or wall decals in a scripted font to transcribe short phrases onto walls. Get ideas from your favorite song or poem, the sweeter, the better.
Take inspiration from the themes of Valentine’s, or any favorite holiday, and transfer them into your everyday decorating style. Just leave the cutesy mascots (i.e. Cupid) and cliché symbols (no red roses or paper hearts) out of the picture. The point of this, like any decorating inspiration, is to take away the best ideas, not completely copy the look.
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