Interior DesigN: snug & garden room

The project

It’s a bit of a cliche that a starting point for a room is “a white box”, but in the case of this snug and garden room, it really was the case. Against the plain off-white walls was a dark wood piano and dark leather sofa, a console and TV. This snug links to a conservatory (naturally much of the structure of which is also white), and there was the temptation for this secondary living space to be somewhat relegated as simply a functional and unloved “walk-through” to reach the conservatory.

the brief

We had already been working with our client on a colourful upgrade to their more formal sitting room, where they had been keen to embrace bold blues. An appetite for colour and pattern was certainly forming, and the garden (directly linked to the snug through the central open doorway) was an obvious inspiration.

Storage was also a key requirement, and the piano was to stay - but ideally become more of a celebrated feature in the room. The seating needed to be improved and expanded (the previous leather sofa was a very compact two-seater), and the room softened with more fabrics and layers.

what we did

Taking inspiration from the garden, we created a scheme anchored in rich greens and teals. We chose a wallpaper (Albany “Bloomsbury Botanical”) that has a lush tropical theme, with gilded leaves and ditsy flowers creating a dense canopy of foliage across the walls. The paper features the deepest teals through to soft touches on plaster pink. Leaning into the deep teal, we chose Little Greene’s whimsically named “Tea With Florence” to anchor the room through painted panelling.

In a family home, storage is one of the most valuable commodities you can have. Keeping board games, computer consoles, the less “attractive” books and toys out of the way helps spaces function better - and remain enjoyable to use. Where there is no obvious alcove, building storage up and over a doorway can be a great solution. It doesn’t affect the flow of the space (the wall is still a wall and the doorway still a doorway), and offers a long run of storage - plus opportunities for styling and interest on the shelves.

We chose Little Greene’s “Clay” to envelop the bookcase in a warm neutral. This room is on the north side of the house, and with tall trees and hedges along the property boundary, neaturally sits in shade for much of the day. Choosing a brown-based neutral ensures the room won’t feel cold or stark, especially in winter.

To dress the large window, we took inspiration from the plaster pinks in the wallpaper to create a lovely area of contrast - and softess. Using Warwick’s “Dolly” fabric, we kept the Roman blind soimple - so as not to compete with the wallpaper - but added a tape trim from Samuel & Sons for definition and detail in line with the window frames.

We dressed the room with teals, soft pinks and an aqua and inky blue rug. The cabbage rose pattern on the Neptune “Emma” cushions links to, but doesn’t replicate the foliage on the wallpaper, and the plain blue and oyester pink echo the colours featured in the wallpaper.

For a touch of sophistication (it’s a room featuring a piano, after all) brass lighting and side tables create highlights and add to the sense of occasion that this room has. Special, but relaxed enough for every day.