Feeling Snug

I know, I know, I’ve really strung this out. Anyone following me on Instagram is probably sick of this room as since August I have spammed the hell out of my snug, however Anna from We are The Clarkes has done an awesome job of capturing my favourite room in my house that I have to share it here.

This is the first room I’ve really ‘designed’ in my own home. Mostly when I’m decorating an idea evolves from an inspirational image or an object I’ve found and the whole things comes together fairly organically. With the snug it was a bit different. If you remember from my initial ‘double duty’ post I was determined to create a multi-purpose space; one that was creative yet relaxing, for both work and for play. Because of this I didn’t want a desk to feel shoe-horned in or for our guests to feel like they’d been plonked in the middle of a corporate office with swivelly chairs. With the position of the alcove unit and the large cabinet from our old dining room already determined there was limited proportions to play around with. We also didn’t want to spend a fortune so being a bit thrifty was also high on the agenda. With that in mind we got to work.

• We painted all the walls with Crown Sail White emulsion. We also used this in our living room as it’s a very calm and soft white.
• To create a cohesive space we built two sets of shelving; the bookcase I mentioned last week and in the other alcove, a simple three cubby unit echoing the partitions of the other shelving. All the shelving was painted in Charcoal Sketch Eggshell from Valspar.
• As I wanted the space to feel airy I didn’t want a closed-in desk. Instead I bought two trestle legs from Ikea and James fashioned a top from reclaimed scaffolding boards.
• As the house dates back to the 1850s I wanted to introduce a fire surround in-keeping with the style of the house. Now I realise back in the Victorian period they would have been using stone rather than MDF but I’m so happy with the surround we had custom made by a seller on eBay.
• I had my heart set on a bar cart but in the end to keep costs down we made our own gin bar with a table from Argos. Watch this space as the full hack will be up next week.
• For seating we ordered the largest sofa we could get for the space from Laura Ashley, with the matching lift-up ottoman to act a a table as well as additional seating and storage. I also brought in an armchair I’d bought several years before from Home Sense.
• I wanted to make sure we could host at least six in here so added additional seating by way of Wilko’s faux linen storage cubes. Now their website suggests you shouldn’t use them as seating but they are very sturdy and also a super place to store your wedding dress should you need to. These cubes really add to the snug/club kind of vibe and don’t obstruct the view of the TV or fire.
• I deliberated over window treatments for a while as wasn’t sure if we could get away with shutters. Let’s face it we’ve got UPVC rather than wood and I wondered if they’d stick out like a sore thumb. Then I realised with the antique windows in here; the charming little porthole, the internal window to the hall and the slightly odd hatch through to the dining room, that shutters would be perfectly acceptable. Nick from The Cedar Works did a great job of bringing my brief to life.
• I bought a few new bits and pieces, namely THAT mirror which I get asked a lot about on Instagram. I shamelessly copied my sister buying the shield shaped mirror from Barker and Stonehouse which I believe is now discontinued. They do a very similar one at Woodpecker Interiors though. I had custom mounts made for simple square gold frames which make them look all together much more fancy pants. The canvas log basket and pom-pom cushions were from Home Sense and the shaggy bolster cushion from M&S.
• Most of the other bits came with me from my old house including the vintage ladder we used to have in our living room and a load of bronze frames from our old bedroom. The gold tray on the coffee table is an old one from H&M and the David Ehrenstråhle Paris print was a gift from Stockholm. The jute rug is just from Ikea brought from our old dining room.

I still want to replace the ceiling light and upgrade the radiator to something far more stylish but that will have to wait until we’ve finished some of the other rooms. Thankfully the toasty log burner came with the house and has made the living room practically redundant during the winter. The snug really has lived up to its name.

{STEAL MY STYLE}