Ask the designer

Freelance interior designer Aisling O’Toole, [e-mail], answers all your St Valentine’s Day design dilemmas. If you have any interior design queries, email: [e-mail]

Q I want to treat my girlfriend to a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner but can’t really afford to go to an overpriced restaurant — any ideas to impress at home?

A. Who needs a cramped, overpriced restaurant when you can create a romantic candlelit dinner for two in the comfort of your own home? A well-decorated table will make even the simplest meal seem special. A smaller table is more intimate for two, so if you have an extension table, fold down the end wings and remove unnecessary chairs. Start with a red tablecloth, table runner or just placemats and neutral dinnerware — or vice versa. Set the table with wine or champagne glasses, even if you’re only drinking tap water. Alternatively you could fill the glasses with Love Hearts sweets. Avoid big centrepieces that prevent you from gazing into each other’s eyes — place a rose-scented floating candle and a few rose petals in a glass bowl instead. For extra brownie points, dot tea light candles with a base from the entrance to the dinner table.