I was recently contacted by a couple who were struggling with their large living room. The room layout was based on a long rectangular sitting room which had the addition of a ‘sun room’ at the far end overlooking the garden. The room felt disjointed, too large and cold, with the problem of dead spaces, a walk through passage and a lack of flow adding to the mix. On meeting them we discussed creating two different rooms, the smaller of which would act as a snug for relaxing and watching TV and the other larger area acting as a more sociable living room to enjoy with friends. The knock through from the larger living room to the snug was large and my clients were keen to close it off a little but did not want to undertake building work or make a large investment with bespoke cabinetry and so a solution for dividing the rooms and making the snug feel more cosy was added to the brief.
When working with the concept of creating two rooms in one it was crucial that both rooms had their own identity but also flowed together naturally, zoning would also be integral to making purposeful spaces.
As with many projects some pieces of my clients existing furniture needed to remain and be factored into the design, in this case it was the sofa and love seat with a woven blue chevron fabric. When discussing style, my clients did not have any clear ideas of direction so we undertook various style exercises to discover their preferences which helped to create a clear pattern from which to begin. Initial concept boards were created which introduced the colour scheme, style genre and textures and from there the design was developed further.
Below are images of the original larger section of the living room:
Living Room Before
Below are images of the previous Snug room
The finished rooms which can be seen below were sectioned by a freestanding book case where my client could display their favourite books and treasures from their travels around the world. The snug was painted in Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue which paired perfectly with warm taupe tones of Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath in the larger living room. Natural oak Scandi inspired furniture was used throughout both rooms, new lighter cream carpet was laid and large textured Berber rugs used within both seating areas to help to zone and add warmth underfoot. Splashes of blue were carried through to the main living room in the cushions and artwork to connect with the blue of the snug walls. Personalised touches such as black and white prints of Amsterdam, my clients favourite city. were added and their favourite keepsakes displayed.
Both rooms now feel cosy, full of character and seperate spaces to relax or socialise. Most of all my clients are thrilled with the finished rooms, enjoyed their design journey and feel more confident and relaxed when making future decisions for their home.