Project: Suffolk Snug
Location: Bury St Edmunds.
A charcoal and caramel snug designed for cosy evenings
A small, unloved living space that never quite worked — awkward flow, leftover furniture and no real sense of purpose. A room that had become somewhere to pass through rather than somewhere to settle. The brief was to turn it into a warm, cocooning snug with a clearer identity; calm, modern and quietly luxurious, without feeling heavy or overly designed.
This project shows how even the most modest room can become deeply inviting when colour, texture and proportion are handled with a natural touch. Blocking off the original doorway removed the corridor effect and unlocked the layout, while deeper tones, natural materials and soft lighting turned the space into somewhere to slow down and unwind.
Before:
A small living room with beige walls, three doorways and two positioned directly opposite each other, creating a corridor through the space.
It was a room that worked hard but never truly worked well — more of a route through the house than somewhere to relax, with the flow dictating the furniture rather than the other way around.
Design Direction:
Warm, cocooning and quietly luxurious was the goal. Deeper, charcoal‑toned walls created the intimate backdrop the room had always lacked, while caramel leather, layered textiles and natural materials brought warmth and softness. Closing one doorway removed the corridor feel and allowed the layout to breathe, giving the snug its calm, modern character and turning it into a space designed for slow, comfortable evenings.
Moodboard Moments
Colour: Charcoal walls, caramel leather, warm neutrals
Texture: Woven blinds, soft throws, natural materials
Layout: Doorway closed to remove corridor flow, seating re‑balanced
Lighting: Low‑level lamps, warm tones, evening‑ready atmosphere
Revealing the Room
The transformation came from giving the room a clearer purpose. Once the corridor effect was removed, the space could finally settle into being a true snug — a place to sit, read and unwind. The deeper palette and layered materials didn’t just warm the room; they gave it a sense of ease and belonging, turning an overlooked corner of the house into somewhere you naturally gravitate towards.