39 stylish snug room ideas for the perfect cosy corner at home
The very name gives you a good idea of what a snug is supposed to do – that is, provide a comfortable space to curl up in. If you're looking for snug room ideas to create your own cosy corner at home, though, there are a few things to consider. For instance, it's important to remember that wall panelling and warm colours often work best for maximum cosiness and a wonderfully enveloping feel. You might also want to consider wrapping your chosen paint colour around the space, including the ceiling, to create a cocoon-like environment.
While snugs are typically at their best during autumn and winter, we have managed to find a Caribbean snug, below, which shows off their incredible versatility. And if you don’t have room for a separate snug, you can always carve out a reading nook from your living room, kitchen or even on a landing or in a large downstairs loo. All you really need is a comfortable armchair and a bookcase, after all.
A window seat within a bay window can make the perfect hidden nook. Adding a curtain to pull across and completely enclose the space, just as Rixo founder Orlagh McCloskey has done, makes it all the more inviting.
Ultimately, all that matters is that it is somewhere – be it a room that’s rarely used, the corner of an often used one or a tiny nook – that can provide a place to sit, breathe, and recharge.
Snug room ideas from the House & Garden archive
Imperfect Interiors / Photo by Dean Hearne1/39In this house of two halves in East Sussex, the snug, with its low ceiling, has a traditional and cosy feel. ‘It's very much a a room to retreat to, and read a book in,’ says Beth Dadswell of Imperfect Interiors. The room features floor-length curtains in Robert Kime's ‘Inazuma linen’, which add subtle colour, while the fringed velvet Rose Uniake cushions bring warmth and texture.
Dean Hearne2/39If you have a slightly larger room available, you might like to consider a multi-functional approach. In this Arts and Crafts house with interiors by Nicola Harding, a second staircase was removed to allow for an additional study that doubles as a snug and TV room for the family. A pair of deep armchairs and an ottoman covered in ticking fabrics make the room feel instantly comfortable, while walls in ‘Post Modern Mauve’ and built-in shelving in ‘Aubergine’, both by Pure & Original, set just the right mood.
Tim Williams3/39We love the idea of creating a snug off the kitchen, as the owners of this ranch house in South Carolina have done. Rich jewel shades like the Zak+Fox red velvet on the sofa and the green of the ‘Marly’ wallcovering by Scalamandré create a warm and enveloping feel that is totally different from the light airy kitchen. A display of vintage art adds to the relaxed yet luxurious effect.
Christopher Horwood4/39This example in an 18th-century Cotswold house by Turner Pocock is particularly memorable as it is actually the corner of a (admittedly rather sizeable) downstairs loo. A chair in Manuel Canovas’ ‘Frida Grenat’ from Colefax and Fowler, a vintage kilim and elegant built-in bookcases transform it into a charming library. We know the idea of books in the downstairs loo is controversial, but this reading space is almost impossible to resist.
Milo Brown5/39While this looks straight from a stylish country house or smart townhouse, it is actually one of the rooms created for this year’s WOW!house exhibition at Design Centre. This showhouse never fails to provide plenty of inspiration and this room was one of our favourites so far. Designed by Thurstan in collaboration with Hector Finch, the snug features walls in a textured marble dust finish, which is incredibly atmospheric and evokes the beauty of the night sky. The mix of antiques, textiles and contemporary pieces, all lit by Hector Finch, have resulted in a richly layered aesthetic.
Christopher Horwood6/39In this cosy 19th-century Cotswold house, with gently layered interiors by Lucy Cunningham, the walls in the snug are painted in ‘Clove’ by Edward Bulmer, while a sofa in Octavia Dickinson's ‘Cassius’ stripe provides a focal point.
Christopher Horwood7/39The reconfiguration of Tamsin Saunders’ urban cottage in London provided the opportunity to create a small snug at the front of the house. Walls in a chocolate brown and fabrics in deep shades are very effective here – and the fireplace will be perfect in winter.
Christopher Horwood8/39A rather different approach can be found in the garden of the same house in south west London, belonging to Home & Found designer Tamsin Saunders. The shed has become an enchanting folly, with walls painted by Tamsin’s artist daughter, Freya Marton. With a much more bohemian, eclectic feel than the main house, it is decorated using lots of natural materials and earthy colours. The perforated metal lantern above the bench seat throws intricate shadows across the reclaimed wood ceiling and painted walls.
Jasper Fry9/39If you’re looking to create a more pared-back, contemporary look, take inspiration from this room in a London house by Rachel Aisling Walker. It is furnished with a bespoke sofa upholstered in Claremont’s ‘Carriage Cloth’ in rust, a Sussy Cazalet rug and a round palmwood veneered coffee table, sourced from Dorian Caffot Antiques. These few choice pieces manage to make the room feel warm and inviting while maintaining a serene and uncluttered aesthetic. An L-shaped sofa like this can work very well in such spaces.
Davide Lovatti10/39This snug in Keith Johnson and Glen Senk’s Tuscan farmhouse is brilliantly bold. Nicknamed the Coronation Room, thanks to the fact that they bought a TV for this space with the express purpose of watching the King’s Coronation with visiting friends, it has walls inspired by Palazzo Davanzati in Florence. Just like the Thurstan snug, it shows just effective wall finishes can be in a smaller room. They have also layered old and new furniture for an eclectic look: ‘Mixing in a bit of modern has a great effect,’ reasons Keith. ‘It's a sharpener and makes you look twice at what's old and twice at what's new.’
Simon Upton11/39This small sitting nook in a handsome Regency Grade-II house in Norfolk is ideally composed for a small but functional, liveable space. The bespoke banquette in Guy Goodfellow Collection’s ‘Olive Sacking’ in cocoa is teamed with a 19th-century Hoshiarpur side table with bone inlay from Westenholz Antiques and a vintage spoon-back chair designed by Michael Taylor for Baker Furniture.
Lucas Allen12/39Behind the main sitting area of this house designed by d’Erlanger and Sloan sits this snug. An ottoman in Namay Samay’s ‘Marak’ sandalwood silk and cushions from Penny Worrall, Susan Deliss and Robert Kime enliven a custom sofa, curtains and tented ceiling, all in ‘Humbug Ticking’ cotton from Howe at 36 Bourne Street. The bespoke woven wicker panels are by Atelier Vime.
Chris Horwood13/39In the acute corner of this invisible house hidden away beneath a stylish Shoreditch street, the sofa was custom-designed by Shaw and upholstered with Kvadrat fabric. The blue recycled plastic lounge chair, console table and lamp on the table are all also by Shaw.
Paul Massey14/39A cosy armchair is the best place to start for a reading nook. In this Cheshire house designed by Rita Konig, an armchair covered in Pierre Frey’s ‘Izmir’ in rouge makes for an inviting place to spend a few hours. The bright colour is set off by woodwork in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Kigali’.
Mark Anthony Fox15/39A sofa bed from The Sofa & Chair Company means a snug in this Wimbledon flat by Emma Burns also serves as a guest room. Above it hangs a framed antique silk panel from the Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler antiques department. The walls are painted in ‘Baked Cherry’ by Little Greene and in the bookcase are a pair of late 19th-century stained glass roundels, which Emma had made into lightboxes.
Dean Hearne16/39In an Arts & Crafts house in Putney rejuvenated by Field Day Studio. A vintage chest from VintageFrench divides the library side of the room from the rest of the sitting room.
17/39The front sitting room of Charleston conservator Kathy Crisp’s Sussex house is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Setting Plaster’, with the Bloomsbury-esque design at the top in ‘James White’. A sculpture by Quentin Bell stands in the middle of the bookcase, bought by Kathy from the Charleston shop. It's Kathy's favourite place to retreat with a book, and indeed the light that streams in from the south-east is magical.
Martin Morrell18/39This space off the entrance hall in Saffron Aldridge’s house on a remote Hebridean island is warmed by an Esse wood-fired stove. Arts and Crafts leather chairs and a built-in three-sided bench provide comfortable seating.
Paul Massey19/39In Nadine Finnegan’s Cotswolds house, a chaise longue covered in Colefax and Fowler’s ‘Alicia Chintz’ in pink/green makes for a vibrant corner against the wallpaper by Polly Fern.
Haris Kenjar20/39The ‘listening room’ in this house in Berkeley was a new addition with joinery sympathetic to the rest of the house. ‘We designed a built-in the bench that mimics the existing joinery. This is where they play records and enjoy the dappled sunlight that makes this property so special,’ says the designer Heidi Caillier.
Owen Gale21/39A Howard armchair sits in front of the chimneypiece in George Saumarez Smith’s lovely home, on top of a French rug that belonged to George's grandparents. The bookcases are ideal for a reading nook and were designed by George.
Mark Anthony Fox22/39Founder of women's fashion label Rixo, Orlagh McCloskey, has carved out this little nook in the main bedroom. The curtain across the window can be drawn for even more cosiness.
Owen Gale23/39In what was a bathroom, Sarah Fuller has built a cosy reading nook in her house in Bath. Practically every inch of space has been used to house the wrap-around sofa. The wallpaper, from Colefax & Fowler, and woodwork painted in yellow, bring sunlight on even the rainiest of days.
Paul Massey24/39Nestled away between the main living area at the back of the house, and a more formal sitting room at the front in Rosi de Ruig’s West London house, is this enclosed, cosy snug. The ceiling is painted in stripes, adding an element of fun.
Paul Massey25/39In the sitting room of Sarah Stewart-Smith’s Herefordshire cottage, bronze gongs from Vietnam hang above the stove in the snug living room. Moving from a large London house to a small country cottage, she decided against selling her larger furniture. Instead, against expectations, it adds to a feeling of space.
Paul Massey26/39A small nook under the stairs in Lonika Chande’s west London cottage provides not just a discrete place to read a book, but also useful storage.
Christopher Horwood27/39Francesca Gentilli spends her working life sourcing the best fabrics and textiles from India, Turkey, Morocco, Uzbekistan and beyond, and her own house is the best showcase of her finds. Clever layering of textiles is one of the best ways to make a small sitting room or snug feel warm and inviting. This room is painted in ‘Breakfast Room Green’ from Farrow & Ball and is Francesca’s favourite room in the house. The rug is a vintage Beni Ourain sourced in Morocco by Francesca, while the ottoman is upholstered in Penny Morrison's ‘Tulkan’ fabric.
Ngoc Minh Mgo28/39Exposed beams and a gorgeous log burner make this the perfect snug in Harriet Anstruther’s Sussex farmhouse. A half-height wall was put in to create an informal room around the fire.
