Spread love: how to set the scene this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us, which gives a lovely excuse to pull together a celebratory table spread. Amid the torrent of chocolates, red roses and La Perla alongside inanimate objects morphed into heart shapes, it’s easy to feel like the holiday is exclusively for couples. But why not make it about any and all love you want to celebrate – be it your dear friendships, your partner, your family or just yourself. If, like me, you’re filled with dread at the thought of dining in a crowded restaurant, surrounded by gushy couples and awkward dates, limited to a pricey prix fixe menu, then host your own swoonworthy meal this year. Whether love is in the air (and on the table) or you’re planning a Galentine’s brunch complete with fluffy, heart-shaped pancakes, here’s how to set the scene and give dining out a run for its money.

British interior designer, Matthew Williamson says: “Taking the time to create an intimate, visually stimulating table at which to enjoy a meal together is a milestone in the day. Laying a tablecloth, setting out the plates and cutlery, making the effort to light some candles and cutting flowers from the garden, arranging them thoughtfully on the table, are each little nods towards affection – affection for beauty, for the food we’ll share, and for the time we spend together.”

Valentine’s Day decor is often an unfortunate Pepto Bismol pink or blinding red. To create a refined scheme that remains on theme, choose a base of powdery rose tones, then you can accent with rich burgundy details or simply a medley of whites and creams. For enchanting tableware, look to Mrs. Alice’s Valentine’s Collection, filled with toile de jouy prints and Palm Beach Regency charm. Lay the foundation for an indulgent meal by adorning your table with the pink Ikat tablecloth which features subtle lashings of leopard between whimsical waves. Then, opt for crisp, white linen napkins embroidered with blush bows – an equally feminine alternative to the overdone heart motif – which sit prettily atop scalloped, blush bamboo-rimmed dinner plates.

open image in gallery

Toast love in all of its forms with LSA International’s mouth-blown Savoy Collection Nick & Nora glasses, with delicate, elongated V-shaped bowls and fine, hand-drawn stems. Romantic in origin, the design was named in the 1980s by New York bartender, Dale DeGroff, after Nick and Nora Charles – a pair of fictional detectives who were very much in love, enjoying copious drinking and flirtatious banter whilst solving murder mysteries together. And if you’re popping open some fizz, your brut will look better than ever before when served in the Dawn Pink Champagne Theatre saucers, with hand-drawn, braided detail along the length of each stem.

Luxury floral designer and former lead florist of the Soho House group, Ronny Colbie, says: “I love to include lots of tall taper candles along the table, with a lush floral centrepiece. For a modern alternative to red roses, opt for our fragrant, all-white Aphrodite bouquet. Pearl white garden roses symbolise loyalty – a sweet message to send to your loved one – and the bouquet is named after the goddess of love, so it’s a perfect pairing.” If you prefer a more vibrant display of affection, pair frilly French pink tulips with dusty blush anemone and burgundy or apricot ranunculus.

open image in gallery

A dazzling overhead light is quite the mood-killer. Instead, opt for the soft, warm glow of candlelight which flatters everyone. Designer and ceramicist, Henry Holland, says: “Combining fragrance and mood lighting is so important when trying to create a romantic dinner atmosphere at home.” When you share a candlelit space with someone, you create your own, intimate world within that pool of light. “Try layering various heights and styles of candles in different holders so that you have a variety as your centrepiece – but make sure to stick to just one scented candle, otherwise the aromas will compete with each other.”

Holland’s new candle, titled Take Me With You, was crafted to evoke romance and escapism, stirring up the feeling of first love with a scent blend of rose and rambling jasmine, cedar, birch, lime and petitgrain – a combination inspired by the aromas he recalls from his own honeymoon on the mountainous Pacific coast of Mexico. Once the wax is gone, the high-gloss ceramic vessel can also be re-used as a mini dessert chalice.

open image in gallery

If you’re a February 14 purist, nod to the floral convention with Byredo’s Burning Rose candle, which “has the scent of ardent desire”. As the candle melts, the flowery accents are slowly wrapped in leather and rooted in dark woods. Or if the occasion is less unapologetically lusty, may I suggest Dyptique’s Roses candle which saturates the air with freshness, like a bouquet of roses, first blooming in the heart of winter. Some are still budding, others have blossomed, their petals still beaded with dew.