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Cuddle Up In Our Snug!

We maximized the smallest nook in our home so that it doubles as cozy seating and toy storage. Let’s show you around!

rug | sconces | cushion | throw (similar)

Snuggle Up + Stay Awhile

Months ago – before the holidays! – we began talking about our plans to freshen up this underutilized nook beneath the stairs. Located right off the living room, you can see it while sitting on the couch. One evening, in a very dramatic light bulb-esque moment, Scott and I looked at each other and said, ‘Built-ins? Built-ins!’ We wasted no time pulling out the tape measure, marking up the walls and diving into the various cabinet options from IKEA.

The more we shared, the more your excitement made us excited. And when one of our readers from England messaged us to say that this style of room – cozy, small, curl-uppable – would typically be called a snug, well, it stuck. This room is such a snug!

The Built-In Storage Bench

rug | bookcase | sconce | speaker

When planning this room, we had a list of things we wanted to achieve. It needed to be able to…

  • … corral all the rogue toys.
  • … provide seating for multiple people (our friends always gravitate towards this teeny room, and we never had enough seating!)
  • … invite you in and make you smile.

The first two boxes were checked by building a storage bench from IKEA SEKTION cabinetry! Here’s that tutorial. In one fell swoop, we gave ourselves over 90″ of storage and seating for multiple people (or a resting spot for one person’s nap!).

Our Custom Bench Cushion

After building the bench, we’d need a long soft cushion. We’ve worked with Patio Lane in the past and have always been thrilled with the results. This time was no different!

sconce | green lumbar pillow (similar) | art

The perk of going custom is being able to create extra long cushions to the 1/8″! We wanted the look of a continuous cushion on the long side, which we were able to achieve with Patio Lane. From the beginning, we were on the hunt for the perfect saddle color – aka ‘Catfish color,’ ha! Stout Textiles Velvety Toffee fit the bill. We gasped out loud when we opened the package! It’s stunning.

We added piping in the same velvet, as well as two 7″ diameter bolster cushions. The addition of bolsters feels so luxe! Bonus: It makes for the best place to rest your head while unwinding with a good book.

ball knobs

Patio Lane is offering all Yellow Brick Home readers 10% off their entire order when you use the code YBH10 through May 31st!

Styling the Shelves

Our IKEA VITTSJÖ bookcase has been a favorite of ours and yours for years. We recently lightened up the overall look by removing the plywood from the top two shelves to reveal the original glass shelving. Now, the globe lamp shines through the shelving, and it’s so pretty in the evenings!

black marble box | gold box | globe lamp

We kept the shelves simple with a small fern, a stack of books, Lucy’s mini rock collection (seen below) and a bundle of sage. A tall wooden vase adds a splash of warmth, and no, your eyes are not deceiving you – we have wooden figurines everywhere. Lucy loves them, and they remind me of my art school days!

bluetooth speaker

A Rug That’s Soft + Durable

The rug you see here landed in this room on accident. It was originally intended for a room in the Two Flat, but instead, it made its way to the snug. It was meant to be! It fills the space perfectly, creates a soft floor for Lucy and Catfish to play and snooze on, respectively, and it’s already proven to be very durable. The faded blue and taupe colors play so well with our cushion and dark grey walls.

rug | sconce | throw (similar) | art

A Mix of Personal + Quirky Artwork

The finishing touch in every room we design? Artwork! I couldn’t resist our composite photo of Lucy, and the framed vintage dog prints were a gift from our friend, Toby. (Does he know me, or does he know me?)

And of course, the large painting on the opposite wall is one of very, very favorites in our whole home! We love how it balances all the darker tones in the room, and the creamy white, texture and oak frame tie our moody snug into our lighter living room like a dream. A dream, I tell you!

sconce | throw (similar)

Thank you for cheering us on throughout the process and giving us advice along the way! Without you, we might’ve never landed on the toy chest idea, which has been so wonderful for swallowing our board game collection.

PS: You can also see how we DIY-ed the built-in seating right here, and this is how we hacked our IKEA bookcase to double as record storage. You can also head to our room makeover page to see every post we’ve written about this sweet nook!

Snug Sources:

Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal (walls) | BEHR Ultra Pure White (trim) | built-in storage bench seating + brass knobs | custom bench cushion + bolsters in Stout Textiles Velvety Toffee | bookcase | rug | large painting | dip-leg stool | sconces | ceiling pendant light | Marshall bluetooth speaker | floral artwork | globe lamp | throw (similar) | black marble box | gold box | wooden figurines| grey velvet pillow | red velvet pillow | green lumbar pillow (similar) | cream pillow | octopus plush

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  • Sue3.30.21 - 4:58 AM

    Beautifully done! Such a clever use of the space. ReplyCancel

  • Jonelle Riboni3.30.21 - 7:42 AM

    LOVE this – wish I had a “snug” space in my home.ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.30.21 - 11:17 AM

      Find an empty corner and add cozy textiles. Boom! Snug. xxReplyCancel

  • Julie3.30.21 - 10:50 AM

    Thanks for explaining the name snug, I was always wondering! I’ve never wanted to hop through the screen to experience a space like I do with the snug. With it’s smaller size and only one opening, I don’t think the pictures do it justice, I JUST NEED TO BE THERE! And then lay my face on the velvet and read a book. I love how you explained the art and I love the huge textural piece. I really want a snug now.ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.30.21 - 11:17 AM

      Haha, no problem! I mentioned it briefly in Stories months ago, so I thought it was time to re-explain how this sweet space got it’s nickname. :) I’ve already enjoyed my morning coffee and magazines perched right in front of that window, and I can tell you, it’s glorious!ReplyCancel

  • Kandice3.30.21 - 10:58 AM

    It turned out beautifull!!ReplyCancel

  • Julia | Chris Loves Julia3.30.21 - 11:24 AM

    My favorite thing about the Vargos is even when you think it’s amazing already, you somehow always push for better and best. Of course this room needed a built in!! Never looked better! ReplyCancel

  • Tara C3.30.21 - 12:29 PM

    So perfect! I love your use of space and definitely want to cuddle up in there!ReplyCancel

  • Nahyun Arnal3.30.21 - 1:23 PM

    Simple yet so functional!! You guys killed it on the snug and I’m so happy to learn where that name came from! It’s just the sweetest ever! ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.30.21 - 2:25 PM

      It felt right. But hearing Lucy say ‘snug’ is probably the best part!ReplyCancel

  • meredith3.30.21 - 8:38 PM

    I love this space! You’ve really inspired me to look at each room in our home and think about ways we can make small (or big!) changes to make it work best for us. We live in a small cape cod with our 16 month old daughter and two sweet pups – about 1,000 square feet total including a semi-finished basement – so every inch counts.ReplyCancel

  • L3.30.21 - 10:29 PM

    So so cute! Love the colour palette. Just bought my son that Ikea globe light after seeing it on your shelf (and I am not influenced easily!) and it’s even cuter in person – I love it in his room so much. ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.31.21 - 8:26 AM

      It’s one of those classic ikea pieces that works with every style.ReplyCancel

  • Vickie3.31.21 - 7:33 AM

    You were very very smart to do cupboards vs a lift top for toy and game storage. A lift top on all of them, would not have been as practical. 
    We have five window seats in our house, all long enough to fully stretch out (the longest two are 9’). All have custom cushion tops, totally agree, worth it to have good quality and perfect fit. 
    I did lift tops on all of them (20 years ago). When I saw your system, I realized cupboards would have been nice on a couple of them. 
    But even with the lift top , they make great storage spot for long term use. Our Christmas tree decorations are in one, upstairs linen in another, extra blankets, seasonal quilts, etc.
    NOTE – hanging file folder metal frames fit perfectly in one of ours and provide a great place for paper/household/record storage. I also have genealogy records in there. That idea only works with a lift top lid. That is one of the 9’ and holds what we need to keep in paper form. ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.31.21 - 8:25 AM

      Those are all awesome ideas! Once we’re out of the toy stage, we’ll definitely be working towards deep storage. Love the idea of paper files in cabinets too!ReplyCancel

  • Dawn4.1.21 - 5:51 PM

    Such a beautiful end result!  We just finished up a very similar project last weekend for our daughter’s 14th birthday — a 12-foot long window seat in her room with bookshelves sitting on top on either side of the window.  Like you, we used Ikea Sektion cabinets as the starting point but we wanted to try DIY fluted drawer fronts.  They turned out better than expected!  She literally gasped when she saw the finished product.  Love following along with you guys!  ReplyCancel

  • Amy4.3.21 - 9:30 AM

    So beautiful! Can you share the source of the window shade?ReplyCancel

  • Sarah4.7.21 - 1:19 PM

    Every corner in this lovely little room is perfection! Love the story behind the “snug” and the great little space you’ve created!ReplyCancel

  • Jillian J7.29.21 - 7:14 AM

    Hi Kim! This room is so cute – I wish I could read a book in it! 
    Question for you – for your floral art on the shelf, did you do any special sort of printing? I’d like to purchase it, and yours looks so real! Did you print it on canvas or paper? Thank you!ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.29.21 - 11:16 AM

      Hi! I printed it on a matte velvet paper. :)ReplyCancel

      • Jillian Jantosciak8.10.21 - 8:39 AM

        thank you!! i will definitely do that then! ReplyCancel

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Kim and Scott

We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

Join us as we renovate and nurture vintage homes across Chicago + SW Michigan!

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