How to fall in love with your home again

 Because lockdown has made us all need a break, says Claire Spreadbury.

Working from the kitchen table, as so many of us are at the moment, has changed the way lots of us feel about our home.

Once house-proud and home-loving, we’ve grown sick of the sight of the same four walls. There hardly seems any point even clearing up after ourselves when no one else is ever going to knock on the door and pop in for a brew. Not any time soon, anyway.

So, in the lead up to Valentine’s Day this year, why not share some romance with your home and fall in love with it all over again? Here’s how…

1. Clean it until it sparkles

When was the last time your house was so clean, it made you feel happy? The feeling of working up a sweat making your house sparkle is second to none, especially when it’s all done and you can flop down on a comfy chair and sniff in the clean scent.

Invest in some shiny new cleaning kit (we love the Wilton London cleaning range, from £3.99, Lakeland.co.uk) and go for broke – it’s not like there’s much else to do at the weekend, anyway.

2. Make it smell wonderful

If your house smells beautiful, it can, undoubtedly, make you feel happier.

Light a lovely candle and watch the flame flicker as the scent fills the room. If you can afford it, you cannot go wrong with Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir Home Candle, £49 (jomalone.co.uk), or if your budget is tight, try Aldi’s Glass Candles, which start from £3.49.

Diffusers can work well too. Try a standard reed variety (we like Marks & Spencer’s Apothecary Tranquil Gift Set, £15, marksandspencer.com) or go all out and sniff in the aromas whipped up by an electric version (Beurer’s Aroma Diffuser with Colour-Changing Mood Lighting is a great choice, £49.99, lakeland.co.uk).

3. Fill rooms with fresh flowers

Many of us may be given beautiful red roses on Valentine’s Day, but many of us will not. Nowhere, however, does it say you can’t buy flowers for yourself. In fact, we insist on it.

In times like these, a monthly delivery of some beautiful blooms, which you can mindfully arrange in a chunky vase, or disperse between an eclectic collection of empty gin bottles (just us?), can really bring some cheer.

Try a subscription service like Freddie’s Flowers (you can choose to have weekly, monthly or sporadic deliveries), buy a beautiful bunch from Serenta Flowers (bouquets from £26.99) or simply pick some up when you’re next shopping. Aldi’s 100 Sweetheart Roses Bouquet, £24.99, will keep your home happy for yonks.

4. Organise a Valentine’s dinner

Whether you’re single or coupled up, you can’t deny there are some great offerings on the food front for Valentine’s Day. So, whether you choose a meal deal from M&S, Co-op or pretty much any other supermarket, cook yourself your favourite dinner, or posh it up with a restaurant delivery box, set up your table and enjoy an evening of feasting.

If you are on your own but fancy some company, set up a Zoom date, or better still, join a cookalong on February 14, and enjoy a bit of foodie interaction before tucking into a meal. Couples can also join in and make a date night of it.

5. Buy your home a present

OK, it’s for you too, but treating yourself to a house gift will give you a real lift. Pick something you really love – perhaps a bright, cheery cushion, a pretty set of glasses to sip from, or a picture for the wall which makes you feel happy when you look at it – anything that will bring a genuine smile and change up a room a little.

You could even buy a pottery kit that enables you to craft your own vase (try the amazing Sculpd kit, £39, which comes with clay, ideas, tools, paint and varnish, sculpd.co.uk) .

6. Tick something off the list

We all have a house list – whether it’s a physical one that’s written down, or a load of jobs we keep in in our heads – that we know we need to tackle. It probably won’t be fun, but commit to ticking off one of those jobs, or nailing a few smaller ones. Order and install that nice oak beam above the fireplace, clear the gutters, or change every single dead lightbulb in the house – we guarantee you’ll feel better for it.

7. Have a moment

Once you’ve completed any or all of the above, sit in your happy spot, cosy up with a cuppa or pour a glass of something naughtier, and spend 45 minutes luxuriating in it. Read a book, do some doodling, flick through a magazine, do some breathing exercises – anything that allows you to immerse yourself in the moment and enjoy being in your home.