Dress Your Dining Room With Love

As soon as my Christmas tree comes down, my Valentine’s Day decor goes up. A heart-shaped wreath made from a wine barrel strap goes on the front door, primroses populate my coffee table and valentine hearts — sometimes in the form of iced cookies, sometimes various sizes of cookie cutters and sometimes knotted bread from our local bakery — hang in the vintage window beside our dining table. I mean, really, what is worth celebrating more than love in all its manifestations?

Enjoy these ideas for decorating your table in observance of Valentine’s Day.

Red is almost never a bad choice for a dining room. It stimulates the appetite; it’s an excellent backdrop for most woods; it glows at night; and banks of candles look wonderfully romantic against it.

So what better time to try this brave color than around Valentine’s Day? If you find it a bit overwhelming, repainting is an easy (if tedious) fix.


If this is a bit over the top, it’s nonetheless terrific. The wall color is the perfect foil for the framed “Love” art …


… and the themed table, with its lace doilies and mixed shades of pink and blue, is both enticing and fun. Beachy accessories, like these sea stars, go very well with a romantic theme.


A more understated but equally effective idea is to string white or pink lights across your dining room. Be sure to use a dimmer switch so you can modulate the lights to a romantic level.


Few things say Valentine’s Day better than a bucket full of tulips. The simple heart-shaped placemats and the French linen runner are subtly fabulous, and the pink sorbet is the pièce de résistance. Notice the cloth napkins?


I readily admit to being a fanatic about using cloth napkins. They are so much more functional than paper, and perhaps we are saving a tree or two. Even if you can’t tolerate that concept on a regular basis, at least embrace it for Valentine’s Day. Napkins like these abound at thrift and antiques stores, which is where Mike and I get all of ours. Adding a crafted napkin ring will take your table decor to another level.


If you are not a lover of pink or red, you don’t have to kiss a romantic table setting goodbye. This lovely blue and white scheme, with its glowing lantern, is every bit as intimate and inviting as a traditional-colored one. Remember, as you set your table, that it is almost impossible to overdo candles.


White on white is another nostalgic and dreamy take on a Valentine’s theme. Lots of candles and accessories from the seashore lend textural variety and interest. Feel very free to mix your whites and creams and beiges; the less worried you are about matching your whites, the more welcoming your table will be.


Mercury glass is another glamorous addition to a white table. Its silver tone and reflective quality will make your setting sparkle and dance.


Large-scale rose topiaries like these make a smashing statement on a long table. But notice how they are carefully positioned between the place settings, rather than directly in front of them, so diners can avoid having to crane their necks to carry on a conversation.


Simple glass jars in assorted shapes with hand-crafted trim and single stems are all you need for a whimsical and alluring Valentine’s ambience. Mason jars would work well, too; fill them with sand and candles, or trim them with ribbon and fill them with candy hearts or rose petals.


If you have heirloom china, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to dust it off and use it. Antique dishes, with their smaller-scale plates and little floral patterns, are just right for an intimate meal. If you lack family pieces but love the look, find heirloom-style pieces at your local thrift or antiques store.


Don’t be concerned if your antique dishes are not in a traditionally romantic palette. Use them anyway; just add complementary roses, lots of candles and touches of lace.


The path to your dining room begins at the front door, so begin your Valentine’s decor there. Heart wreaths come in materials and styles to please anyone. Bundled twigs, grapevines or willow branches are popular choices and, when augmented with ribbon and flowers like this one, are so very welcoming.


Meri Meri Valentine’s Day Crackers - $15 When we take the time and effort to create special decorations around Valentine’s Day, we are making a big statement to the ones we love. We are telling them that they are worth going to a great deal of trouble for. Let’s take every opportunity life offers us to demonstrate that. Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody!

More: Evoke Old-World Romance With Vintage Silver

URL: Dress Your Dining Room With Love http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-22776.html