An “English Snug” Is the Cozy Room Your Home Is Missing
When designer Anne McDonald first walked into the petitely proportioned space of our 2024 Whole Home, what stood out were the magnificent mountain views—and massive windows. “They can almost make you feel too exposed and vulnerable,” she says. To counter that effect, she channeled the concept of an English snug: “They’re sweet little rooms that are intimate and cozy.” Her vision was meant for one, maybe two people at most, a place where the inhabitant could settle in with a good book and a nice Scotch to enjoy a moment of luxurious solitude.
Selections throughout reflect a mindset of warm informality and a palette that draws on the natural surroundings: Farrow & Ball’s Ash Grey, a mossy color, for the walls and Cardamom for the room’s trim and built-in bookcase. (Using the same paint color everywhere would have made it look “too serious,” says McDonald.) Since the space opens directly into the entry foyer, McDonald installed a drapery panel “that feels like a camp blanket” for added privacy.
McDonald worked throughout to soften what she refers to as ” the sheetrock shadows” of new-build architecture, layering in plush finishes, luxe furnishings, and other elements to relax the vibe and draw visitors across the threshold. “I love a room you have to interact and immediately engage with, so I always put something into a space that naturally pulls you in,” she says, likening it to a visual invitation to pour a drink or put on a record. “It just makes it more dynamic.”
Anchoring the room is a custom, live-edge walnut table McDonald designed. Club chairs from Lee Industries, in her favorite “worth-every-penny” mohair, complete the seating arrangement trifecta. To top it all off, a Kelly Wearstler-designed ten-light chandelier with alabaster globes adds a sprinkle of vintage glamor overhead. “It’s a way to bring a little sexy in,” McDonald says, “which I always love to do.”
Since a wall of shelving would feel too claustrophobic in such a small setting, McDonald commissioned custom built-ins around an antiqued mirrored wall. The result reflects light and adds, as she puts it, “a bit of glitter” into the mix. Brass brackets from Architectural Grille allow shelves to float in front of the mirror’s surface, providing storage for glassware, as well as a place to showcase collectibles and art.
Instead of cabinet doors, McDonald chose to dress the lower part of the built-in with a floral skirt in a motif of mint, teal, and aubergine. The tactile elements of a midcentury leather lounge chair by Bruno Mathsson and a 1970s limestone console tucked into a recessed corner are set off by a goat hair rug that feels remarkably like silk.
Designed for one or two people, this British-style “snug” offers an intimate setting for catching up or winding down. A Visual Comfort & Co. picture light illuminates art by Mark Manzi.
Paint: Ash Grey, Farrow & Ball. Chairs: vintage (leather), 1stDibs, Lee Industries (mohair). Pillow: custom, in Arlo Stripe 03 fabric by Liberty of London. Console: antique, Andie Collective. Vase: Wayfair.
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