Soft, romantic lighting and a sexy tune on the stereo: it’s a surefire way to set the mood for a romantic evening with your Valentine.

Rather than race around the house to adjust a slew of light switches and frantically search for the remote that’ll get the music set just right, impress your sweetie by having the house ready as you step over the threshold. It’s a tactic that most custom electronics professionals mentioned when asked what they’ve done in the past for clients looking to spark some romance at home.

Many of the following scenarios involved the use of a home control system and the respective app that allowed the homeowners to evoke “romance” by tapping an icon on the screen of an iPhone or iPad. Some ideas also involved the use of a special button on a remote control or touchpanel. If you already own, or are planning to invest in a home control system, ask your CE pro to program a special Valentine’s Day (or any other day the mood strikes) setting. Consider these:

• A heart button on a handheld remote that dims the lights, lowers the shades and activates the gas fireplace. —Mark Hernandez, Cliqk, New York, NY
Design and installation by Cliqk, New York, NY
• Stream romantic photos of your wedding, a vacation or some other event to the big screen. Complement the slideshow with background music—both easily accomplished through an Apple TV. —Vanja Thompson, David Vincent Design, Carmel, Calif.
• This works best for a bachelor or bachelorette. After learning what type of music your date likes, activate that particular playlist (rock ballads, salsa tunes, etc.) on your way home from dinner from your smartphone. Of course, you’ll need to have the playlists already preconfigured in order for this to work. —Todd Puma, The Source Home Theater, New York, NY
• Same client as above: Using a smartphone, lower the temperature of the house so that your date may want to cuddle to warm up. —Todd Puma, The Source Home Theater, New York, NY
• If you can’t find the words to adequately express yourself, ask your custom electronic pro to string together clips and quotes from your movie collection. Press a button on a remote to activate it, as well as dim the lights and close the motorized shades. —Vanja Thompson, David Vincent Design, Carmel, Calif.

Design and installation by Digital Home Technologies, Palatine, Ill.

Lisa Montgomery - Contributing Writer

Lisa Montgomery has been writing about home technology for 15 years, with a focus on the impact of electronics on a modern lifestyle.