Over the past year or so, we’ve been slowly but steadily building a little community of people who have an interest in interior and garden design. We’ve welcomed new blog readers, email subscribers and Instagram friends into our world of design, nature, connection and appreciating the beauty in and around our homes. So, we thought it was about time we did a little refreshed introduction to Hygge & Cwtch Design Studio!

We’re a Cardiff interior design studio, founded by interior designer Annie, and run from the Scandi-inspired garden studio at the bottom of Annie’s garden. Surrounded by trees and nature and closely connected to home, it’s Hygge & Cwtch in a building. There’s no more perfect place for this brand to live and to bring our client’s dream homes to life.

We completed our first interior design project almost seven years ago in 2017, and have taken on countless projects since then, transforming single rooms, full houses, gardens and outdoor spaces, all with our personal touch and signature style.  

What’s in a name?

Well, a lot, actually!

The Danish concept of ‘hygge’ (pronounced ‘hoo-gah’) is all about finding contentment and peace in the small joys in life. Hygge has been something of a buzzword in the past. Yes, it’s about feeling cosy, lighting the candles and snuggling under the blankets. But it’s more than that. It’s an entire way of life and one that they’re very good at living by in the Scandinavian countries.

Hygge really is a core value of our brand and our style. It’s our compass which keeps us honest and true to our beliefs. If we feel that our work aligns to the hygge way of life, then we know we’re on the right track.

‘Cwtch’ is a Welsh term for ‘cuddle’. And that’s the feeling we want to create for our clients, both through our work and through our personal approach when working with us.

The name Hygge & Cwtch encapsulates who we are and the feeling and lifestyle we want to achieve for our clients. A true sense of self and comfort in their home. A life of quiet luxury which isn’t showy but which brings a unique sense of joy and contentment.

So yes, there is indeed a lot in a name.

Our Approach

As a small team, the Hygge & Cwtch approach is naturally very personal. They say our biggest USP is who we are as people. This is exactly what Annie and the team bring to Hygge & Cwtch.

Tailoring the service to each individual client, Annie has a unique ability to be truly collaborative whilst guiding our clients to making the best decision for their needs. Pairing an eye for design and experience in the industry. With a human approach and a deep belief in the power of nature and wellbeing in our home. Working with Hygge & Cwtch, you don’t just get a beautiful home and garden, you get the environment and the opportunity to create a hygge lifestyle with wellbeing at its heart.

The key to our design approach is to be considered and thoughtful. Listening to our clients’ requirements and translating this into design which reflects their personality. Our aim is always to understand how a space might work in the wider context of their home and lifestyle. So getting to know the homeowners is essential to really getting to the root of what they need. Putting their personal stories and treasures front and centre of design is a sign of the Hygge & Cwtch belief that authenticity is the only way to achieve real comfort and happiness at home.

“I love this process because you can see how people flourish at home when their home environment aligns with what speaks to their soul.” Annie, Hygge & Cwtch

On a practical level, we keep lines of communication open. We’re available to talk and encourage conversation as we go through the design process. We can’t do this job properly unless we’re talking, listening, understanding and advising at all points. With great trade and supplier contacts in the industry, we can make the entire process easier. From initial consultation to putting that final plumped cushion on the sofa.

Our Interior Design Style

We wrote not too long ago about the signature Hygge & Cwtch design style. Those core principles of Colour, Cosy and Scandi will forever remain the same. But as with all good design, our personal tastes evolve. Our design style will always align to our client’s tastes and preferences. They come to us because they like what they’ve seen, and we have confidence that we can create something special in our own unique way.

This year, that Scandi vibe is heading in a more elegant direction. Still inspired by nature, still minimal and timeless, but with an edge of quiet luxe. Inspired by the likes of Normann Copenhagen for their architectural shapes and minimal design. And Soho Home for their use of texture, global influences, rich colour and stunning attention to detail.

We want to give our clients a space that makes them want to choose ‘home’ over a fancy hotel. Why shouldn’t our homes feel like the most special and luxurious places we can imagine? So, our design style incorporates more luxury textures and materials. Layered and contrasting to create imaginative, unique spaces with an easy going, cosy vibe.

Bringing our interior design plans to life

An important stage of the design process is visualisation. Helping our customer see in their minds eye how our interior design vision will translate into reality. Imagining a room looking completely different can be difficult for a lot of people, and is often one of the reasons why they come to us in the first place. To help with this, we regularly create 2D and 3D visuals using specialist software.

2D floor plans are scaled line drawings of a room, showing where all of the furnishings will go in the space. This is an important tool to help us, as designers, create a space which flows and ensure everything actually fits. Being a scaled drawing means that although it may fit on an A4 piece of paper, if the drawing was blown up to a life size room, everything would be in proportion and accurate. If it fits on the plan, it will fit in the room.

3D visuals are the next step in the visualisation process and again, while it’s primarily about helping the client see the expected outcome, it’s also a great tool for designers. We get to check that the individual pieces of our designs work when pulled together into a model and can tweak as needed. Often called ‘3D renders’, these models can be deceptively realistic! Photo realistic renders elevate a 3D drawing into something really special. It can be difficult to tell them apart from real life photography and gives the customer that next level of confidence in how their space will look in the end.

Interior Design Recognition and Press

We’ve worked hard quietly and under the radar for a good six years and are never happier than when working with our clients and producing dream homes for them. But, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t proud of the recognition we’ve had over the past year, because we really are!

We made the Three Best Rated top three Cardiff interior designers list in 2023. We were a finalist in both the Interior Designer category in the Cardiff Property Awards 2023 and the Homes & Interiors category at the Cardiff Life Awards 2023. We’re hugely proud of our roots in Cardiff and Wales, and with so much creative talent in the area it’s lovely to know that we’ve been noticed and recognised for what we do.

Very recently we were awarded the Best of Houzz 2024 for Service award. As we you might be able to tell from the ‘Our Approach’ section above, we’re big on service. Having our customers feel listened to, valued and supported is a priority for us. Receiving positive reviews (currently a full house of 5* Google reviews) gives us the ultimate boost and we strive to offer the same excellent service with every client regardless of budget, location and project size.

We were also ranked #8 in the Feedspot best hygge blogs of 2023, and considering how close hygge is to our heart, as we talked about earlier, this is a special one for us. It means all the work we put in for our blog readers is hitting the right note and really getting across the meaning behind our work.

What some of our clients have said

“Annie provided a full turn-key service liaising with our principle contractor to fulfil the project. She worked tirelessly... If you are looking for a hardworking professional interior design firm who really go above-and-beyond for their clients, then look no further!” Clients at our Lahaina holiday let project, St Ives

“Annie really took time to understand who we were and what our taste was, and how our needs were changing with our family growing up and leaving home. I walk through my home now and love the flow and feel of it. We have colours and patterns that I would have been cautious about previously, but absolutely love. I would thoroughly recommend Annie to anyone thinking of updating their home” Client at our Greenfield project

“An excellent service from start to finish, Hygge and Cwtch were with us every step of the way, and made every stage as stress free as possible. They helped us realise our plans for our house, developed and suggested great ideas and ensured the work was done to a high standard.” Client at our Grosvenor project

“I felt inspired from the get go with Annie’s initial visit and the time she took to listen to my needs. My personal style and taste was fully embraced within the designs. They have beautiful, unique touches and attention to detail. A professional, friendly and quality service, highly recommend Hygge & Cwtch Design Studio!” Client at our Marshfield project

Get to know us more…

You can read more about Hygge & Cwtch Design Studio and about founder, Annie, on our About page. And if you don’t already, join us on Instagram and sign up to our monthly email newsletters for more interior design inspiration and chat.