Before and After: This Sunny Living Room Redo Proves “Cozy” Doesn’t Have to Mean “Cramped”

Tearing down a wall can completely change the look and feel of a room, and Rose Bickers’ UK “snug room” is perfect evidence. You would think that a large family would take advantage of every one of their home’s nooks and crannies, but Rose’s now-family-of-six didn’t used to spend much time in this space because it seemed so dark and generally blah. “This room previously had an exterior door and a very dull, gloomy feel,” says Rose. “We wanted to create a family snug room that felt cozy but still had the sense of the outdoors and a natural, calm feel.”

So, Rose explains, a few years ago as part of the house’s second renovation phase, about £2,500 went toward the room’s redesign. Among the biggest changes: Pros tore down the wall with the door and replaced it with an opening for so much more light. Rose also opted for engineered wood floors and Marrakesh tiles for the fireplace. “Ironically, the trickiest part was the wallpaper!” she says of the Rifle Paper Co.-patterned accent wall. “It was a total nightmare to match up!”

The wallpaper—and the entire reno—was worth it, though. “I adore the feeling of this room,” says Rose. “The green wallpaper reflects the outside that we can see from the bifold doors. It has a very serene and calm feel, somewhere we all spent time in the evenings after a meal.”

Rose’s only regret, she says, is not adding more built-ins: “As a family of six, storage is always a great idea.”

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