With Valentine’s Day looming, many people are currently turning their thoughts to love and what it means to them.
Chocolates, flowers and romantic meals are the staples for those who on at least one day of the year go all gushy and sentimental.
But did you know that furniture can also be presented as a token of love?
If you want to brighten up your pad, and be a romantic at the same time, you could splash out on a colourful ‘love seat’, a small sofa or double chair that seats two people which is sometimes designed in an S-shape so that couples can face each other.
Early examples of the love seat, which originated in Britain, date from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Mind you, the makers of the small sofas in those days apparently had no desire to make furniture that would bring lovers closer together. Instead they were more concerned about accommodating the huge dresses of the period. You could accurately say they were made for one woman and her (wide) dress.
Designers who produced the seats from the beginning of the 19th century, however, were definitely motivated by amorous considerations – and they even began to call them courting chairs.
Another piece of furniture that sets the stage for romance is, of course, a bed. It should be big enough to comfortably accommodate the two of you and canopy beds in particular allow you to add lavish fabric draperies to the mix to give the bed a real romantic feel.
If you have a garden there’s also the possibility of using garden furniture to create a romantic hideaway. Finding the space to spend some quality time together can be difficult so by strategically placing garden furniture sets, including bistro tables, benches and some comfy chairs, you can have a ready-made secluded area.