Thursday February 18th at 6:30 PM

 “Romancing the Home”
by
The Dealers at the Collector’s Eye

SETTING THE STAGE:

Begin staging for Valentine’s Day romance well in advance of the actual holiday. Visit the Collector’s Eye and seek out the following:

- Old linens like tea towels, tablecloths, and sheets.
- Sparkling pressed glass and crystal, especially vases and stemware
- Candelabras and candlesticks
- Vintage valentines and décor
- Vintage jewelry
- Vintage books
- Vintage timepieces, opera glasses or whatever
  else evokes the idea of past good times.
- Old picture frames.

Also pick up magazines, dealers have backdated ones for a fraction of the original price, and new Romantic Homes is also carried year round at the Eye. Get ideas for your own vignettes and start playing around with your newfound objects. Suggests for a vignette:

• - Pick a theme: color is a good place to start (look at some dealer’s booths. They do all-white themes, which is very romantic looking). Collecting and displaying one type of object is very appealing, too. A vignette with a collection of old timepieces – clocks and stopwatches and the ubiquitous vignette of vintage photography in assorted frames are good examples of this theme. One could also display a collection of perfume bottles, candlesticks, or decanters. You get the idea.
• - Incorporate textiles into the home. Use of doilies and tablecloths uplift the mood of the room. Also placing needlework, vintage looking floral or lace pillows on chairs, sofas and benches is also welcoming. Make a bouquet out of rolled up doilies!
• - Bring in flowers! Nothing says romance like fresh flowers. Make an interesting table arrangement out of single white roses in individual vintage vases. Put the vases on a silver tray or an old mirror to up the impact!

ACTION:

The winter is dark and cold, so elevate the mood the
same way you did for Christmas – with light!

• - Light a fire in the evenings
• - Have candlelight dinners (some candles are smokeless and dripless, and only burn an inch an hour!) Even the most simply prepared meals are special in candlelight!
• -  Use small strings of lights on your mantle or in your potted trees.

Music also sets the tone if played in the background at dinner. Play it for yourself to make routine chores more agreeable. It is the ultimate attitude adjustment!

FINALE

Even if you can only implement some of these suggestions some of the time, loved ones are going to take notice. They’ll want more! So, after the rave reviews, TAKE A BOW!

Romancing the Home (February), at the Collector’s Eye in Stratham. Ask how we can help make your decorating and collecting enrich your life.