1. The light of your life
Flattery will get you everywhere so show the light of your life that they are the love of your life by choosing illumination that flatters. It can forgive so much, from undusted corners, to wrinkles and dark baggage under the eyes. A picture paints a thousand words and this one radiates warm fuzzy feelings and will project a flattering shade of pink on to anyone in its company. Designed by the very cool London-based décor specialist Talking Tables it is due back in stock on the site today but delivery will not make it to Dublin for February 14th. Instead get thee to Moss Cottage in Dundrum, Dublin 14. You will warm the cockles of any human heart that receives it. It costs €75 and measures 33cm by 38cm. Talkingtables.co.uk; Moss.ie
2. Silky smooth
Silk is a material that can diffuse lighting to great effect, something Spanish-born designer Mariano Fortuny understood completely creating impressive stage lighting using the material.
New York-based Aqua Creations also understands how seductive the marriage of silk and light can be. Its Horn lamp, 160cm tall, from its Morning Glory collection, is a beautiful floor design, that comes in four colours including a rich cream, pictured, about €2,534, ex delivery.
If you want to be seen in a good light you could also try its Nara design, a rounded square shape that is wall-hung. The lightbox style of illumination is beyond flattering in pink. €4,448, ex delivery. Aquagallery.com
3. Sacred sunrise
Sunrise has always been a sacred time of day and Italian firm Bonaldo celebrates this with a sideboard of the same name that has a smart strip of white LED lighting underneath to wash the floor in low-set light.
Designed by Gino Carollo it comes in two sizes, 180cm or 240cm long, and in three colours: matt white, anthracite grey, or quartz grey and costs from €3,614 for the smaller size to order from Lomi Design.
You could create a similar effect in an existing sideboard using strip lights, in a kit from Home Store and More, for €19.99. Lomi.ie; Homestoreandmore.ie
4. You're glowing
"Overhead lighting should look dramatic but offer low-key illumination that washes the face in a golden glow," says Darren McCarra of Co Monaghan-based Mullen Lighting. His Neiva chandelier features in La Madison, a restaurant in Nice designed by Paris-based Baldini Architecture, that has deep blue velvet banquette seating surrounded by ruby red chairs with brass legs. The light fixture, €652, has three adjustable arms that can be configured and positioned in a variety of shapes to suit the size and style of the interior setting and it comes in polished or satin brass finishes. McCarra suggests using a LED Edison-style tube light, €7.38, that emits a warm colour temperature of 2300k – dental white light would be 5,000k. Mullenlighting.com; Baldiniarchitecture.com
5. Romantic personality
The Atollo table light is a lamp with a strong personality that looks even better when you team two sizes together. Turn illumination into a romantic gesture by buying a pair, and giving one to your other half so that the set represents each of you. That way, every time you turn them on you will think of each other. In three colour options: opal white, gold, and on-trend black, pictured. From €530 for the small (35cm tall), €720 for the medium (50cm) and €1,165 for the tall (70cm). Minimahome.com
6. Neon dreams
Seletti designs a range of cool lighting that can add atmosphere at very affordable prices. These neon tubes, pictured in fuchsia and white and hooked to the front of an oversize bedhead using a built-in loop, cost about €77, ex delivery. You can also use them as floor lamps but you will need to buy a stand, an additional €17, to enable them to stay upright.
The A by Amara Fiesta bed linen, pictured, is soft to the touch and has a 300-thread count, €75-€97, ex delivery. Amara.com
7. Follow your partner
Do you consider your partner to be your magnetic north? If so then the lighting manufacturer E15's North pendant could be just the heart-warming gift to give. Launched in 2014 it is available in three finishes: white (from €295), nickel-plated, €738 and copper (from €849), from Dún Laoghaire-based Lost Weekend. The design comes in two sizes: small, 23cm in diameter and large, 33cm in diameter but it really comes into its own when you bunch multiples together as pictured here. This grouping of five pendants, a small white, a large white, a small nickel, a small and a large copper costs €3,257. The copper looks especially good against the blush shades that have become the new neutrals. Try Mahogany Rose, from Fleetwood's Prestige range, which costs €72.99 for five litres, a colour that designer Roisin Lafferty loves so much she's painted a restful corner of her office in this shade. Lostweekend.ie
8. Candlelit dinner
Nothing beats candlelight for creating a romantic atmosphere, says Martina Yearsley, deputy general manger at Ballyfin, an exclusive country house in Co Laois that is home to some of the nation’s most romantic interiors. In such surroundings a simple repast of charcuterie and cheese becomes a really memorable moment, as this set-up in the cellar shows, but you can take inspiration and do something like this at home using empty wine bottles as candlesticks if all else fails – the focus here is the flattering light.
Ballyfin is booked out on February 14th but there is availability on the weekend beginning Friday, February 16th. From €780 for bed and breakfast for two for an overnight stay. Ballyfin.com
