With the end of summer in sight, you might be feeling a little down. But, just because the days are growing shorter, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on your garden! An outdoor snug can be the perfect garden spot to retreat to, come rain or shine. And, as you can use it for whatever you want, the options will be endless when it comes to designing and decorating it.
So, if you’re not ready to sacrifice your time in the garden just yet, read on to discover my top five tips for creating your own outdoor snug.
Decide on its purpose
Before you start decorating the inside of your snug, it’ll be a good idea to think about what the space is going to be used for. Whether you just want a peaceful place to retreat to after a stressful day, or you want to use it to entertain your friends, identifying the purpose of your snug will be key.
Not only will this help you to decide on practical elements like the sizing and style of the snug, but it’ll also help you to make smarter choices about décor and furnishings. This will help you to use your space more efficiently — as well as saving money along the way.
Find an appropriate snug structure
The first thing you need to consider is what kind of structure could fit in your garden. With sheds, cabins and summer houses all available, there’ll be something to suit each and every outdoor space. Plus, as you can sometimes buy these pre-made, you won’t have to worry too much about being a dab hand in the DIY department.
When choosing which of the above to use for your outdoor snug, consider the size of your garden. For smaller outside spaces, a shed will ensure you save space, while a cabin or summer house will be the perfect size for larger gardens. Alternatively, if you’re up to the challenge, you could even build your own snug, as this will give you better control of the planning process and ensure you have an entirely unique space. So, think carefully about the space you have to work with, and what materials you need to use to get the structure and aesthetic you want to achieve.
Decorate the interior
Once you’ve created the perfect building for your snug, you can get started on the fun stuff, like painting the interior walls. In general, soothing neutral colours like grey, soft green, lavender and baby blue will be best if you want your snug to be a calm, relaxing retreat. However, if you want to give it the ultimate cosy feel, a warm shade like terracotta will do just that. Paint brands like Crown offer a wide range of shades so there’ll always be something to suit your desired aesthetic.
After you’ve chosen a colour scheme, you can decide on the most important aspect of your snug’s interior: the furniture. You’ll need to ensure the seating looks comfortable and inviting. However, before you invest in the cosy L-shaped sofa of dreams, consider the space you have available. If you’ve got a bigger area to fill, you could opt for a sofa or larger piece of furniture to accommodate everybody. But, if you need to be space savvy, making use of more compact seating, like these beanbags from Wyevale Garden Centres, will ensure you can still bring comfort into your snug while remaining conscious of the space available. You’ll then be able to finish your snug off with small complementary details, like cosy pillows and throws.
Create ambience with lighting
A snug should be a place you can head to whenever you feel like, be it to shelter from the midday sun or to escape from the drizzly grey weather. So, it’s important that you add some lighting for the evening, or whenever natural daylight isn’t strong enough. Some soft lighting will also help to create a cosy, soothing ambience within your snug.
Although candles and fairy lights will create a lovely warm atmosphere, having some more substantial lighting, like these LED wall lights from Smart-Light, will ensure you’re covered during those dimmer nights. You might even choose to add a couple of dimmable lamps, so you can control the brightness within your snug.
And, don’t forget about lighting up the outside of your snug! Battery-powered fairy lights will be a great way to add a cosy feel to your new area and will be a safer option than rows of tealights would be.
Add some entertainment options
Depending on what you’ll be using your snug for, you might already have some entertainment options — like a television — planned in. However, there are some other things you may not have thought about yet.
Speakers will be a valuable addition for your snug. Not only can they add some soothing background music when you’re trying to wind down for the day, but many models can be connected to your TV, so you can transform your snug into your very own at-home cinema. Alternatively, if you have a large wall, you could invest in a projector to mirror the cinema experience more closely.
