Romance on a budget for Valentine's Day

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How do you add a little romance on a tiny budget? Just in time for Valentine's Day, celebrity interior designer Kenneth Brown shared his secrets to creating a sensual bedroom -- without breaking the bank.
The key word is "sensual," Brown advises. Romance starts with your senses. Go beyond sight to touch, smell and sound.
-- Think about how something feels against your skin. Mix textures such as a silky bedspread with sateen sheets and fluffy pillows. (Brown likes faux fur throws, too.) Avoid anything that feels rough. Consider a plush throw rug "that feels amazing on your feet."
-- Scent is an often overlooked element in interior design, Brown said. "Vanilla- and cinnamon-scented candles are a perfect way to spice up your bedroom, not to mention the added benefit of flickering candlelight."
-- Fresh flowers also add scent and ambiance, but don't go for huge bouquets. "Avoid large, overpowering arrangements that feel like you're at a funeral," he said. Instead, try placing three simple flowers in three-bud vases clustered on a nightstand.
-- Soft music can set the mood for a romantic interlude (a portable CD player can do the trick), but turn off the bedroom TV. In fact, Brown suggests hiding the TV when not in use. Conceal it behind a chair or a screen. "The less distraction, the better" for romance, he said.
-- Color has the biggest impact in decorating a bedroom, and paint is relatively cheap. Choose a color that looks good on you and flatters your face and skin tone. Soft shades of pink, lavender, blue, green, yellow or beige are both relaxing and inviting.
-- Lighting sets the mood. "This is why you should always have at least two lamps with textured shades to diffuse the light throughout the bedroom," Brown said. "This light is more flattering than overhead lights that create shadows in all the wrong places."
-- Kick out the family photos (even the kids). "Your romantic bedroom should only have pictures of you and your partner framed in a simple frame next to the bed," Brown said. "You don't want to stare at your mother-in-law while feeling romantic."
-- Try not to bring your work into the bedroom. If you must, stash it away out of sight. "Seeing work is far from romantic," Brown said.
The price of cut roses always spikes at Valentine's Day -- with good reason. Besides supply and demand, most of those holiday flowers are imported from Colombia and Ecuador. But there are other possibilities for Valentine flower gifting:
-- Carnations. A florist staple, these cheery flowers come in a wide variety of colors including blue, orange and bi-colored blends in addition to traditional red or pink.
-- Orchids. With their growing popularity, these exotic blooms actually have become much more affordable. Butterfly and moth orchids are now commonly found in supermarkets, and the blooms can last up to a month.
-- Bleeding heart (Dicentra). This shade-loving perennial doesn't bloom until May, but plants are available in nurseries now. It's a gift with potential.
-- Cyclamens. Heart-shaped pink or red flowers make this a Valentine's natural. They keep well as houseplants until April, when they can move outdoors.
-- Begonias. With exotic foliage and blooms, this huge family of flowers presents lots of choices for plant lovers. Varieties such as angel wing may have large red, heart-shaped leaves. They make good houseplants in winter and can move outside with warmer weather.
-- Tulips, daffodils and other bulbs. February is their season for big bloom. Make the most of it with a big bouquet. Daffodils and narcissus also have a strong scent.
-- Azaleas and camellias. A whole bush can cost less than a dozen cut roses. Besides being a "bouquet" in a pot now, the bush can be planted in the garden or larger container to be enjoyed for many more Valentine's Days to come.
E-mail Debbie Arrington at darrington(at)sacbee.com

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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