The Wonderful Snug: An Interior Designers Dream Space

The Wonderful Snug: An Interior Designers Dream Space

Snug: comfortable, warm, and cosy; well protected from the weather and cold. That's the definition of snug, and the interior design feature mirrors that very definition. It's a sigh of relief when you walk into your home at the end of a busy day. It's that release of tension as you melt into divine, freshly washed bedding. It's the soothing, unrelenting, and somewhat mesmerising call of a perfectly placed throw and cushions on the sofa. A snug room is every designer's dream space. Read on to explore the very definition of a wonderful snug in the interior design world.

What is a Snug?

It's easy to understand snug as a definition, but how does it transpire to, arguably, one of the most popular interior design trends? A snug room is typically a small space away from the main living areas with the sole purpose of relaxation. The stereotype of a snug room is a crackling log fire illuminating a grand bookshelf with an enticing, cosy chair or sofa ready to take your troubles away from you. The reality can be anything but that - it's often intimate, small, sophisticated, and harmonious.

A relaxed ambience might be the theme of a snug room - or the definition of snug itself - but what a snug room really entails is entirely up to the designer's desires; that's what makes it a designer's dream space. According to George Clark - the presenter of the popular TV show Amazing Spaces - a snug space is still one of the most popular requests he has when redesigning a family home. George believes a snug should be small, cosy, intimate, and full of soft furnishings.

What Makes The Trend So Utterly Unique?

George Clark touches on the unique qualities of a snug room. The premise of a snug room is to be small, cosy, intimate, and full of soft furnishings. Every other room serves a purpose. The bathroom is for bathing, the kitchen to cook in, and the bedroom to sleep in. But a snug room is so utterly unique because of its sole purpose of relaxation. Relaxation and escape are the only practical elements so, realistically, the designer (or homeowner) has the ultimate creative freedom to design the room exactly to their likings - or, more importantly, to their comforts.

There's no need to overthink the design process of a snug. It's typically a room that guests won't see, so it doesn't have to fit in with the status quo of the rest of the home. Although we'll go on to discuss what's quintessentially snug in the next section, the snug should be naturally comforting and tailored to the homeowner's needs. You’ll want to focus the bulk of your attention on choosing upholstery fabrics that live up to the sumptuousness and comfort the space offers. You will also want to invest plenty of time into layering light to really amplify the space’s ability to invite weary travellers in.

There are, however, some more general rules of thumb to consider when designing a snug. The first rule is to keep a snug small - you could say it needs to be a snug fit.

Alternatively, the sister snug is known as a reading nook. If you don't have the room to create a snug, but you still want that cosy place to hide away, a reading nook could be the perfect alternative. Homeowners typically create a reading nook by carving out a section of the living room and dedicating it to relaxation and reading. The effect might not be the same as in a snug room, but a reading nook can still be idyllic with the right design and home comforts.

Quintessentially Snug

Although a snug can be anything you want it to be - as long as it's small and cosy - there is what's known as quintessentially snug - the ideal design of a snug room. The first design element is a roaring fire. Don't be disheartened if you can't incorporate that into your snug - electric fires work almost just as well to create that delightful, warm, fire crackling experience (some even emit crackling sounds!)

Next to a mesmerising fire should be an inviting soft furnishing that'll become almost impossible to detach yourself from - a plush sofa or single-seater would suffice. A snug must be cosy and inviting, so a dimly lit decorative lamp next to your seat of choice is essential. Top tip, purchase a bulb that emits a soothing warm yellow glow rather than a bright LED bulb. Or, you could take it to the ultimate snug level and create pockets of light using nothing but candles - it's something the Danish have mastered with their Hygge philosophy.

Now we move to the floor and the decor - whether you opt for carpet or a solid flooring option, a rug that makes you feel as though you're stepping on a cloud is essential. As for the decor, darker tones tend to fit the quintessentially snug description. Explore darker blue and green colour palettes for the perfect snug colour.

The rest of the design, including tables, curtains, and accents, are flexible - most will fit the quintessentially snug bill.

A snug room is an ideal place to escape the chaos of life - or perhaps simply the chaos of the rest of the home. It's an interior designer's dream room because it's everything a relaxing room in a home should be. It's warm, inviting, and most importantly, it's undeniably snug.