Romantic decorating ideas on a budget

Valentine’s day is just around the corner so now is a better time then ever for some romantic decorating ideas. But, it doesn’t have to be just for Valentine’s day. Anytime you want to step up your game for a romantic evening you can use these tips to make a very unforgettable night. And these ideas are budget friendly too. Most of the items I suggest you probably have in your home already, and if not, won’t cost you much at all to implement.

So, here are some great romantic decorating ideas you can do without spending a lot of time and money by simply using your 5 senses.

Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Remember those? True intimacy uses all of these senses to heighten arousal, so by using them in your decorating you are setting up the space to truly set the mood.

romantic decorating idea pin with a rose

Using Sight in your romantic decorating

Sight is the very first of the senses your significant other will use when walking into the room so you will want to wow them with what they see. Here are some great ideas you can use to make the room look amazingly romantic.

Use color to set the mood of the room. Pinks and reds, just like with Valentine’s day decor, will give the room a sense of romance. You can bring these colors into the room in many ways such as with blankets and throws, pillows, curtains, flowers, candles, heart decorations, or even with lighting.

romantic decorating ideas for family room decorated with reds and pinks for Valentine's Day
My Valentine’s day nook in my family room

Lighting will also visually set the mood of the room. Have a fireplace? Light it. Use lots of candles but remember to use caution. We don’t want any fire hazards. Also use unscented candles if you are serving food so as to not compete with the smell of the meal.

How about some white Christmas lights? These small twinkling lights will give the room a magical feeling. Place the lighting and candles evenly around the space.

Just remember whatever type of lighting you use you will want it to be soft and low. So dim those overhead lights or throw a scarf over that lamp shade to give you that perfect glow. Did you know they make pink or red light bulbs? Did you also know that’s where the term “red light district” came from? The red light is very forgiving on the body and will hide many imperfections both in the room and on your body. So ladies, if your insecure about your body…red or pink lights are your best friend. 🙂

The size of the space is important too. You want the space to look and feel comfortable, inviting, warm, and cozy. If you have a large room try and pick a corner of the room to kind of section off so the space is smaller and more intimate. To do this you could use a room divider or curtains. Remember making forts as a kid? Use some romantic materials such as silk or a sheer fabric to section off a space that you can cozy up into.

romantic tent idea in the bedroom for adults.  Romantic Decorating Ideas
Pinterest
PAINT SWATCH

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Speaking of the size of the room and romance, I wrote a post titled “How to decorate a small bedroom with a king-size bed.” Check it out for some great tips on making the best use of a small space.

Room decorations will also set the tone of the room. This is where you can get your Valentine’s decorations out. Think hearts, xoxo’s, lace, roses, red balloons, and basically anything love related.

Mirrors are also very romantic. If you have a tall floor mirror or large wall mirror, consider using it in your decorated space.

Using Sound to make a room romantic

Another way to add romance to your decorating is to use sound. Soft romantic music playing in the background is a dead giveaway that something special is going on. Ask Alexa to play some romantic music. Get out your old love playlist from when you were dating. Play your wedding song list.

How about listening to the crackling of the fireplace? I have an app on my tv that shows a fireplace scene and you can hear the crackling of the fire. It’s so romantic. Check the apps on your TV. You may be surprised to find you have some free apps too.

Or even try making it so quiet that you can hear your partners heartbeat? How’s that for romance?

how to use Touch to make a room feel romantic

Touch is huge for romance both in the bedroom and in your decorating. Use lots of different textures to heighten your senses. Soft materials such as silk and satin feel wonderful on the skin. A cozy fur throw will envelope you in comfort. Use lots and lots of pillows to cuddle up with. And of course comfy blankets and throws to snuggle in.

This is the time to get out all of the pillows and blankets and throw them all over the space. I will literally walk my entire house and gather everything that is romantic, pink or red, and soft and cuddly and bring it to the space. Cover your sofa or arrange them on the floor. Stack them up against your headboard for complete comfort while eating or snuggling.

Now I would make sure these pillows and blankets followed the rules for romance such as color, textures, etc. but if you don’t have pink and red pillows and blankets don’t worry, just use what you have. You could wrap a pillow in a red towel, or throw a white blanket over a blue sofa. Use your imagination!

Don’t forget your sense of taste to be romantic

Now this one will depend on what your plans are for your romantic evening. For instance, are you making dinner? Are you serving wine?

Just like the other senses you will want to taste things that are sweet and savory and give you a romantic feeling. Chocolates, wine, strawberries, a great steak. I would serve whatever your significant other’s favorites are unless of course it makes you bloated and gassy. LOL Not very romantic!

Here is a YouTube video to make a very romantic dinner for two, complete with Italian music playing in the background to get you in the mood. 🙂 Now I am hungry!

romantic food for date night
Romantic Meals for Two

Smell, both good and bad, should be concidered for your romantic decorating ideas

Smell kind of follows taste because if you are cooking you will be smelling what’s on the stove. The biggest thing I can warn you about is if you are burning candles and cooking you do not want the odors to overpower each other or worse compete with each other. So if you are cooking use only unscented candles. And don’t forget about flowers too. Sometimes they can also be overpowering while eating so maybe arrange them away from your dinner?

Don’t forget about perfume? What does your partner like?

I’ve talked about good things to smell but nothing can kill your romantic decorating ideas like bad smells. You need to be aware of smells you don’t want to smell like the dog, burnt food, or dirty linens. One way to deal with the odors you don’t want is with Fabreze plug-ins. I LOVE this scent! It really does mask odors but also puts a clean scent in the air. How can I explain it…it smells fresh, not perfumed!

Also, put on some freshly washed sheets and blankets. Open the windows on a nice night and get some fresh air, and put the dog bed in another room.

By simply using all 5 of your senses you can create some romantic decorating for you and your partner by mostly using what you already have in the home. Think outside the box.

Learn more about how to decorate below

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