Design Ideas for Snugs

Looking to create the perfect place to retreat to after a long day? Daisy Jeffery offers design advice on how to achieve a snug in your home

How to create this cosy space in your home

The way we live in our homes has evolved. Today, the open plan kitchen diner has become the hub of the house. But our love of open plan spaces, sometimes coupled with high, vaulted ceilings, can result in a home lacking in cosy spaces to kick back and relax in. While the living room is one of those rooms that often comes ‘as standard’ when planning a renovation or new build, this space is now often reserved for more formal entertaining — and sometimes even designated as a room for the adults, away from the clutter of children’s toys. So just where does one retreat to when looking for a cosy space to curl up in with a good book, to watch a film with the kids, to play on the games console, free from the noise of cooking or view of dirty dishes?

Enter the snug. Promoted as the room to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, if designed well, a snug can prove a valuable asset to your home.

Creating a Room with Atmosphere

You will seldom find a snug with lofty ceilings, and you are unlikely to find a snug situated in the centre of an open plan space. If you’re designing your home from scratch, look to place the snug in a suitable position (ideally off from the main living accommodation) and introduce lower ceiling heights to create a cosy environment. Exposed beams can also create the illusion of a lower ceiling and provide a more intimate space. For renovators, try and tuck the snug away from noisy areas such as the kitchen.

Lighting will be a key consideration for creating atmosphere. As this will be the place where you will want to relax, avoid including too many downlights (unless they are on dimmers), and focus more on wall lights and table lamps that will offer more of a subtle glow than overhead light. If you’re going to be installing bookcases or shelving, designing in built-in LED strips to provide ambient lighting here can also work to great effect.

Introducing the Spirit of Hygge

Hygge, the Danish ethos of wellbeing, has had a big impact on interior design of late, with designers turning their attentions to creating warm, inviting spaces. And it’s a trend which lends itself when designing a snug.

Installing features such as a woodburning stove will aid in creating a cosy, Hygge-filled room to retreat to after a long day. Adding texture is another element high on the Hygge agenda, and while flagstone, tile or polished concrete flooring might work brilliantly in other areas of the house, think deep-pile rugs for your floor covering, and select warm materials such as timber for feature wall cladding. Soft furnishings will also be high on the purchase list.

Zoning Spaces to Aid Flow Between Rooms

Should your snug lead directly off from the rest of your liv- ing space, zoning this area will be a priority if you’re to capture that cosy feeling associated with this room. Where your snug is semi-open plan to your living area, consider using a partition or half/dwarf wall to create a clear divide and sense of enclosure (far right).

Pocket doors are another useful tool that can create separation between spaces, with the doors closed to offer privacy when needed, or pulled back when the snug is not in use. An alternative spatial device to zone the snug from the living room is the use of a mezzanine. This requires enough head height to accommodate a separate level — a vaulted ceiling could be the perfect example here.

Consider Orientation

While primary spaces such as the kitchen diner will benefit from a light-filled, southerly elevation where you can break out onto the garden via extensive glazing, the snug is one of those rooms that doesn’t rely on an excessive amount of daylight. If this space will be primarily used for watching TV, then it doesn’t need to enjoy the best views your site has to offer, either — these should be reserved for the main living spaces.

Self-builders looking to include a snug could design the space to face north, prioritising the rooms best served by being orientated south. However, that’s not to say extenders and renovators can’t reorientate their snug too, should they choose to reconfigure their ground floor layout, or transform one of the utilitarian rooms (traditionally located in the darker, cooler area of the house) into their snug. H