Bringing romance to your home

We know what our wives love for Valentine’s Day: jewelry, perfume, flowers, a candlelit dinner.

But what about your house?

Like a spurned lover, it may lose that loving feeling if you forget to bring it jewelry or perfume to set the proper mood.

Yes, really.

Here are some special things you can do to make your home a more romantic place to be:

JEWELRY

A home’s jewelry is a little different from ours, but there are plenty of adornments that make it look more beautiful and romantic:

ULight fixtures

UBath fixtures

USwitch plates

UWood moldings and trim

UDoor handles and more

Most of these items can be replaced or added in no time at all. They are reasonably inexpensive and will show your loved one how much you care. Both of you will end up enjoying the results.

PERFUME

An intoxicating scent always lifts our spirits. But often the smell of our home is so common to our sniffer that we notice no smell at all.

Sure, you can boil a cinnamon stick in a pot atop your stove and your home will smell like it did when mom used to bake.

And you can use air freshener as well.

But what really smells great is a nothing less than a really clean surrounding.

When a home has been “deep cleaned” it smells fresh, and a thoroughly cleaned home looks better, too.

To accomplish this we need to clean in places that are normally not included in your normal housekeeping routine:

UCeilings and high moldings and trim

ULight fixtures and the tops of the blades on decorative paddle fans

UBeneath and behind major appliances and storage closets

UFilters in your range hood, exhaust fans, compactors, heat register grilles, furnace filters

UBeneath and behind furniture and rugs

Most of us tend to save deep cleaning for once a year in spring. But, when we actually do it, we feel so much better about our home and each other. Why not make it a habit?

FLOWERS

Here’s a gift to say “I love you” to both your loved one and your home.

It is especially nice to have flowers with a fragrance, but the color and beauty that a flower brings to the home is worth frequent trips to the garden.

Snow and cold weather are no problem. Grow lights, a homemade mini-green house or even a small part of the kitchen can be used to nurture flowering plants all year long. All it takes is warmth, water and a little sunlight. You can do it.

CLOTHES

A home may be as clean as it can be, but if a home looks tattered it feels worn out. You get dressed up for a special occasion, and your home can, too:

UReplace ugly, faded and torn window screens

USpruce up, repair or replace tattered blinds, curtains and drapes

UPrune shrubs, hedges and trees so that they look neat and stately

UPaint tattered walls. A splash of racy red can go a long way in a bedroom or family room. A peaceful blue can set a relaxing mood.

UPreserve your view. A simple look out a window can be a pleasant experience if you keep your windows clean and the screen like new.

ROMANCE

Add romance to your home by replacing your existing old-fashioned light switches with dimmers.

Put your home in the “right mood” and your lover might just follow suit.

XFor more home improvement tips and information, visit www.onthehouse.com.