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Somewhere between a casual friend and Mr. Right lies a trial room to check if the guy you are dating is worth his salt (or diamond!). Now that you have decided to take the next step and bring him home for a romantic date, it’s time to put on your personal best. After all, if this really is Mr. Right, then you don’t want to drive him away simply because your house looked a little too prickly for his taste.
Let’s just start by saying men will be men. If you show them some lovin’, they are likely to forget everything else. But that doesn’t mean you take things for granted. Sometimes little things become big enough to send the wrong signals. And in this game of love and romance where lots of codes are exchanged in an unspoken language, what you put out there when your date comes home for the first time can make or break the mood.
Getting down to business, if you want to make your date go from a casual evening to an intoxicating romantic night, here’s how you tighten your belt to steer the way.
A lady’s pad is bound to have a love affair with pink but making your apartment resemble a double strawberry cheese cake can give your date an unexpected sugar rush. If you really have an obsessive compulsive liking for pink, break the monotony by adding complimentary colors to your home decor.
Your bed, for example, can be a rich purple. Bright and colourful armchairs in yellow and a stylish chandelier can add an inviting touch. But do stay away from the “for him / for her” collection on your first date. Too much mush can make you come out as clingy and have your guy running in the other direction.
You know what they say about a book being judged by its cover. Agreed that first impressions are not always right but if the cover isn’t inviting, you are unlikely to read the rest of it. The entrance is one place we don’t pay a lot of attention to. Sometimes keys or loose change are strewn about or the doormat has been lying around for ages and needs a cleaning. Or it may be an unkempt shoe rack or a set of photographs in your corridor that haven’t been dusted.
Because your home’s entrance forms an immediate impression in your date’s mind, make sure you keep your corridor clutter free. Place interesting statuettes for effect and a flower bowl to catch your knickknacks. Also, keep the area a little extra clean as it gives an impression of putting your best foot forward.
Just like Shrek, women too are similar to onions – we come in layers – sometimes of makeup, sometimes of personality. But even Fiona did not reveal that she was an Ogre on her first date. And neither should you. When your date happens to casually look around your apartment, do you want him to know that you own 35 pairs of shoes or what brand of hair removal cream you use or that you need a dark circle concealer.
Get all your personal grooming products out of sight and keep your desk free from clutter. Tuck away your personal diary, any jewelry you may have casually left out in the open, bills and other little things that can draw attention.
When you step into the kitchen to make coffee or fix dinner, your date may casually follow you for a conversation or to help out. Would you want your unclean kitchen leave your date screaming on the inside? Before you bring your date home, give your kitchen a good swipe. Your sink should be devoid of dirty dishes and your platform shouldn’t have leftovers and crumbs. Do stock your fridge with ice cream, chocolate, jelly and strawberries – all of which can add a new dimension to your date.
Also, since your date may take a trip to the washroom sometime during the night, it is best to have the whole area get a visit from the cleaning fairy. After all, this won’t be the ‘dirty talk’ he will have in mind.
It is true that a way to a man’s heart is from his stomach but don’t overdo the cooking and make it a central point in your date. Your date will love the fact that you took time out to cook something special for him and even more if the fare is delicious, but this isn’t exactly a wedding buffet. Don’t create a huge spread, but go for a few tried and tested recipes.
Your date is going to be about romantic conversations in a relaxing atmosphere. If you have the smell of food hanging in every room, it may not be the best mood lifter. So mask the scent in other rooms with air fresheners or, even better, with aromatic candles. Now available in a variety of fragrances, a light lavender or flower essence can send out a message of a perfect cozy nest.
Another great addition to your home decor are indoor plants. Adding colour and drama to a room, plants can create a nice relaxing atmosphere. Add them to your corridor, living room, and bedrooms. You could pick out some fresh herbs from your kitchen garden when serving dinner. That will not only add to the taste but also to the flavor of the conversation.
If you don’t fancy a green thumb, go for some of the easily available, low-maintenance house plants in India, like the spider plant, lavender, jasmine and varieties of money plant. Some plants like the Snake plant release oxygen at night and make for great bedroom plants. Just make sure the plants look fresh and healthy.
Hint: May be when you get talking about the plants, you could mention the special plants you have put in your bedroom and invite him to see! Move things along to get that romantic night going. Like in this picture, Taller Estilo Arquitectura, architects from Merida Yucatan, Mexico, have used a lot of plants to create a green, comfortable ambiance.
Admit it or not, but all women like their men to show a bit of jealousy. So this is one path you should tread very carefully, especially on a romantic date night. As a safe bet, simply keep all your ex’s stuff away from sight. Box them into the attic or hide them in the closet and stop any skeletons from tumbling out. A date night at home isn’t the best time to reveal every shade of grey.
Get your home in order, act like the princess you are, and don’t forget to dress to kill. After all, you need to be the center of attraction. If he can’t take his eyes off of you, then he won’t be paying attention anything else around. To read on a related topic, check out Making differences work in a couple’s flat.
