Flowers and chocolates may seem like an obvious way to woo your way into your loved one's affection this Valentine’s day, but research shows that the best way to improve your relationship may be to improve your home. The National Home Improvement Month campaign urges people to Make One Change.
An untidy home is one of the biggest causes of arguments. Research shows that the one thing couples can do increase their physical affection is to share housework more fairly.
Couples who reported sharing the housework equally - including DIY and home improvements - enjoyed 36% more sex on average, 6.8 times compared to around 5 times in households in which one partner did the bulk of routine housework. Getting the mood right is also important.
Researchers have also found a direct correlation between how much sex we have and the colour of our bedroom walls. Red is a green light for go in the bedroom, with black and purple walls also intense colours for intimacy. Conversely, dark green is more of a stop sign, voted the least sexy colour. Here are some togetherness tips to improve your home and your relationship too:
♥️ Work out your individual strengths so you can work well together as a team and avoid quarrels.
Choosing colours can be a minefield for couples so agree at the start that you may need to compromise. If you like orange and he/she isn’t keen, maybe this just needs to be an accent colour in the room, against something more neutral like grey.
♥️ Fixing broken things in the home can be very cathartic. Doing so together with your partner can give you that shared sense of satisfaction. Sit down and write all the things that bug you both and then prioritise the list so you can tackle one at a time together.
♥️ Improving your bedroom together can be a sexy job. Finding out from each other what would make you tick in the boudoir…when it comes to interiors…can teach you a lot about your partner. It’s such an important place to get right for your love life but also because it’s where you both start the day. Even just moving or replacing furniture and linen and removing clutter can have a huge impact on bedroom harmony.
♥️ Spending time together in nature can be hugely beneficial to a relationship. What better way to do this than sorting your garden. It should be a romantic place to spend time together. If just a good tidy up followed by cuddling up and toasting marshmallows over a fire pit sounds like a wonderful date doesn’t it? Gardening is also a great workout to get you in shape.
♥️ People don’t realise how much of an impact home interiors have on a relationship. If there are things that niggle you, resentment can start to build. You may laugh that one partner is messy whilst the other is a neat freak, but over time this can come between you. Remember there’s no such thing as perfection, but just the fact you’re communicating with each other and showing that you care about your partner’s needs can really make a difference.
♥️ When choosing colours together make sure you have in mind the mood you both need that room to evoke. For example, if you like to relax together in the lounge, you want muted tones. To improve your sex life, add fiery colours like fuchsia and red in the bedroom, if you love sharing food together then vibrant colours in the kitchen will work.
Sharing a home improvement project with your partner is healthy for a relationship as it gives you a shared sense of purpose. And you'll both have something to enjoy together at the end. Research conducted on behalf of British Home Enhancement Trade Association (
BHETA) to promote the National Home Improvement Month.
