Celebrity interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard counts some of Hollywood's biggest stars among his A-list clients and has helped makeover the homes of Cher, Cindy Crawford, the Kardashians, Gwen Stefani and Tommy Hilfiger.
Here British-born Martyn, who has collaborated with luxury homeware brand Addison Ross on a new tableware collection, shares his tips for creating the perfect romantic Valentine's (or Galentine's) dinner table.
© Hope Rollins1. Choose a colour scheme
“For me, it's about choosing a colour that makes sense,” says Martyn. “I don’t think multi-colour is great, so I chose black and white for my collection. I love the strength of a black and white vibe. Then, to give it that special moment of passion, add a flower that is meaningful to you.
"It doesn't have to be roses and it doesn’t have to be red. I prefer to use tones of red, so I use roses and three or four different flowers to get a tonal experience, but always in the same shade. Then I love to add a little rose or piece of greenery into the napkin ring.
"So that brings the eye back to the table and adds even more of a romantic flavour.”
© Hope Rollins2. Create a romantic mood with candles
“Candlelight is everything, and I think more is more when it comes to candles, but make sure the candles are at different heights,” Martyn advises. "I like to have low, I like to have high, to really create an ambience, where it's not all directly in the eyeline and there are different levels of the lighting; it becomes very flattering to whoever is sitting there.
"And always make sure you turn off your overhead lights. There's nothing more unflattering than an overhead light for anybody, anywhere.”
3. Get the scent right
© Hope Rollins"Here's a little secret,” Martyn says. "Find out what your husband, wife or lover's favourite fragrance is – either one that they wear or the fragrance they love on you – and then squirt a little bit of it on the upholstery of the chairs.
"Not too much, because you don't want to overpower the flavour of the food. But use a little bit of that fragrance because fragrance creates sense memory, and sense memory is our number one key to the idea of romance.
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"And so, if you walk into a space and you smell something that automatically reminds you of a romantic evening or a beautiful dinner or a gorgeous vacation you took together, that's going to bring back those sense memories and set the mood."
For more about Martyn and his collaboration with Addison Rose visit martynlawrencebullard.com
