Create a Hideaway In Your Home with a Snug: the Room Dedicated to Coziness

If you grew up hosting slumber parties, you likely have memories of creating spaces where you could wrap yourself in coziness: pillow forts, treehouses, or snuggling under blankets to giggle and hide from the world. As open-concept layouts lose their appeal for some homeowners, the search for that hideaway has become relevant. Interior designers report that because of this craving for a quiet corner, more and more people are requesting the addition of a snug room.

A snug isn’t a new concept: These little nooks, meant for one or two people, have a storied history.

They first appeared hundreds of years ago in British pubs as a way to escape the noise and chaos of crowds and in large estates designed for balls, banquets, and other events. Designer Lauren Stephens explained to the Wall Street Journal that the snug was “the cocoon of the home.” For modern families, a snug is a way to repurpose unused spaces, like a dining room or extra bedroom, in a way that makes sense for a busy lifestyle.

In the 21st century, a snug offers a respite from all kinds of screens—a spot dedicated to curling up on a comfy sofa with a warm blanket and a book (often a prelude to an afternoon nap). Because these are such small spots, interior designers suggest having fun with the decor, using bold colors and patterns. Don't shy away from moody paint colors or lively wallpaper.

“I like to use large-scale and dramatic patterns that you wouldn’t be comfortable living with in a larger, more visible room,” Heidi Hendricks, a designer in Sharon, Connecticut, told the Wall Street Journal in an article about powder rooms. “This is your cue to go a little tacky. See it as a folly.”

Snugs distinguish themselves from other places of refuge with their absence of windows. In the bitter cold of British winters before electricity, windowless rooms were warmer, and avoiding the views of snowy landscapes helped you forget the freezing outdoors (if only for a moment). Many homes are built now with sizable windows and skylights, which is lovely in spring and summer but can be chilly and foreboding when the weather is dreary—escaping to a snug with a cup of hot cocoa may be the ideal way to warm the spirit.

If your home doesn’t have room for a snug of your own, close the curtains, put on some soft music, and wrap yourself in a quilt for a while. Or why not build a pillow fort? Your inner child will definitely appreciate it.