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January 20, 2020

It's a snug life

It’s a Snug Life

So the wind is howling across the island and the rain’s coming down in stair rods.  What you need is a cosy retreat in your home.

According to Ricky Mahy, Technical Director of Create Chartered Architects, snug rooms are big news.

 

‘When we discuss a client’s extension or renovation project, quite often a snug is on their wish list,’.

 

If the weather is getting us down or we’ve had a stressful day, it’s natural to yearn for peace and relaxation. Think of a serene place with warm colours, a roaring fire, a comfortable sofa and rugs on the floor – that’s what a snug is all about. It’s a place to put your feet up, read a book, listen to music or play board games with the children.

In many ways the snug is the antithesis of the modern open-plan kitchen diner that graces the pages of most homes magazines. That hasn’t had its day – far from it – but you can bet those photographs of glazed doors opening out on to a beautifully landscaped garden were taken on a sunny day or a balmy evening. When summer barbecues feel like a distant memory and spring isn’t yet around the corner, we’re more likely to be battening down the hatches than throwing open our windows and doors. 

Happily, the opportunity to create a snug often arises as a by-product of an extension project. Whereas once a formal dining room was highly covetable, the open-plan kitchen diner has rendered it obsolete. When friends come over, we’d rather pour a drink and talk to them as we finish off the food preparation than banish them to a different room to wait to be served. As Create’s Design Director, confirms: ‘When you extend a traditional property you tend to be focusing on the kitchen diner, a big social entertaining space that engages with the garden. But by extending out we’ll often have a former lounge or dining room that no longer has a purpose which can be ideal as a snug.’ Even studies are less popular than they were, as we increasingly check our emails, surf the web or pay bills on our mobile devices.

 

So if you have a redundant room, why not repurpose it as a snug? 

 

The acoustics and feel in a cosy snug are totally different from those we seek in our open-plan kitchen diner. Kitchen diners are all about light, air and clean lines, whereas the snug should have heavy curtains and soft fabrics to create a cocoon-like ambience. A fireplace or wood-burning stove provides a focal point and, of course, warmth. Create can design interior architecture to make the most of your room, including bookshelves, reading corners and other fitted furniture.

CREATE’S TOP TIPS FOR A COSY SNUG

  • You can’t beat darker colours for a relaxing, comforting atmosphere. Navy blue, claret, chocolate brown and emerald green add depth and character to a room, whilst providing a contrast with light and airy social areas.
  • Comfortable soft furnishings are essential in a snug. Sofas and armchairs are cosier in fabric than in leather, but if you have aleather sofa you can soften it with throws and cushions.
  • Curtains should be dense and heavy for maximum insulation. Close them at night to forget about the winter weather.
  • Keep lighting soft and ambient; dimmer switches allow for versatility. Include a more powerful lamp if you need task lighting.
  • There’s nothing quite like a real fireplace but it’s not the mostconvenient option. Wood-burning stoves are more efficient, using less wood whilst providing more warmth. Gas fireplaces can be a good compromise and don’t forget that adequate ventilation is a must for all types of fire.
  • No space for a snug? Try transforming a corner of a room into a cosy reading nook.

Ready to warm up your home? Get in touch with Create and find out how the talented team can help it to work for the way you live.