{"id":12229,"date":"2017-02-14T10:22:56","date_gmt":"2017-02-14T17:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/?p=12229"},"modified":"2017-02-14T10:22:52","modified_gmt":"2017-02-14T17:22:52","slug":"stylish-diy-dinner-date-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/stylish-diy-dinner-date-home","title":{"rendered":"A Stylish DIY Dinner Date At Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ah, Valentine\u2019s Day. Nothing says romance like driving around the block ten times looking for parking, or waiting 30 minutes for the table you reserved a month in advance. Wait, you did make reservations, right? Never fear \u2013 we\u2019ve got you covered with a few tips that will help you put together a stylish DIY dinner date at home. The object of your affections will be swooning into the homemade risotto you’re going to make. Wait, you do know how to make risotto, right? <\/span><\/p>\n

Set the mood with lighting<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"photo

Photo by Cat Mayer Studio<\/p><\/div>\n

What do fancy restaurants have in common (aside from a $12 side of mashed potatoes)? Dim lighting. Kill the overhead canned lights — instead, use accent lighting like sconces or buffet lamps. Incorporating tea lights or taper <\/span>candles<\/span><\/a> in your centerpiece also add warmth and a little twinkle to the space. For added drama, choose tapers in non-conventional colors, like black or aubergine. However you decide to light your space, remember: no<\/span>thing says \u201cmood killer\u201d like fluorescent lighting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Think beyond red roses<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"flowers\"<\/p>\n

Sure — long stemmed red roses are classic, but how about scoring some points for originality with something a little more unique? White hydrangeas, gladiolus, and ranunculus\u00a0are just as romantic, but less cliched. Combining your blooms with greenery stems like eucalyptus and fern leaves will give the arrangement a lush look.\u00a0Opt for a vase with metallic accents for a glam look or choose a mason jar for a more rustic vignette.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dress up the table<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"Photo

Photo by Jack and Jane Photography<\/p><\/div>\n

Do not, we repeat, do <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> serve your romantic dinner on an naked\u00a0table with paper napkins! Cloth napkins, place mats, and table runners are all relatively inexpensive ways to make a <\/span>bare table<\/span><\/a> immediately look more upscale. Something as simple as a linen runner can make your regular kitchen table feel like seat at a five star restaurant. Feel like going for extra credit? Grab a little twine to wrap around your napkin and tuck a sprig of rosemary or a small flower in the bundle for a bit of added charm.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make a toast<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"Photo

Photo by Zoella<\/p><\/div>\n

Whether you decide to splurge on a bottle of Veuve or you’re keeping it simple with some Two Buck Chuck, don’t overlook your bar set up.\u00a0<\/span>A well-styled (and well-stocked)\u00a0bar cart<\/a>\u00a0is a welcome alternative to $16 cocktails — and it will impress the heck out of your date.\u00a0Want to take your cocktail game one step further? Swap out the basic clear glass\u00a0stemware <\/a>for something with a little more style, like a smoky tinted wine glass or a metallic accented tumbler.<\/span><\/p>\n

Need some help putting together your DIY dinner date? We’ve got you covered.<\/h2>\n

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1<\/a> | 2<\/a> | 3<\/a> | 4<\/a> | 5<\/a> | 6<\/a> | 7<\/a> | 8<\/a><\/p>\n

Ready to make your home a space that’s ready to impress at any given moment? Make a date with one of our designers<\/a> and get ready to meet the room of your dreams.<\/p>\n

Feature image by\u00a0High Five for Love Photography<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ah, Valentine\u2019s Day. Nothing says romance like driving around the block ten times looking for parking, or waiting 30 minutes for the table you reserved a month in advance. Wait, you did make reservations, right? Never fear \u2013 we\u2019ve got you covered with a few tips that will help you put together a stylish DIY… View Article<\/a>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":12230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1017],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"images":{"medium":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/feature_image-300x200.jpg","large":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/feature_image.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12229"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12229"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havenly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=12229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}