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Designing rooms as sanctuaries
with VEERE GRENNEY — Esteemed New Zealand-born UK-based decorator
Lesson 9 of 40
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The library at Gazebo is the heart of the home and is very much a working room. Veere muses on an increasing preference amongst his clients for an additional space to their living room, such as a library or a den, that can be a relaxing sanctuary.
From the Lesson Workbook
Designing rooms as sanctuaries
The library in my home is the heart of the house, and is very much a working room. I have noticed a preference amongst my clients for an additional space to their living room, such as a library or a den, that can be a relaxing sanctuary.
A den, library or snug is typically a room that is decorated in a darker colour palette, and is typically used by the whole family for watching television or reading.
These can be cocooning spaces that comfort you and feel distinctly different to the rest of your home, offering you sanctuary.
Eclectic patterns and moodier colours evoke feelings of cosiness and relaxation, while also being less formal and, in turn, more pet-friendly and child-friendly. My rules around avoiding clutter go out of the window in this room, and it feels more relaxed as a result.
They can also be deeply personal spaces, and a place to display your more personal objects and mementoes.
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Interior and exterior confidence
Create Academy has been such a great resource. I'm in the middle of renovating a bungalow with a very large garden and the courses have offered a wealth of information to dive into and explore new ideas. I'm...
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Absolutely love Create Academy
Absolutely love Create Academy! The instructors are extremely informative, and it is beautifully filmed. Create Academy is great value for money and plan on renewing my subscription yearly because there are ...
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Magic in small spaces
Butter's creativity is stunning! Her ability to incorporate brilliance in small gardens is magical!
Carla
May 30, 2026
Your Instructor
Veere Grenney
Esteemed New Zealand-born UK-based decorator
For more than three decades, Veere Grenney has shaped the landscape of international interior design with an eye for timeless elegance and a deep respect for tradition. Having begun his career under Mary Fox Linton, and later serving as a director at Colefax and Fowler, Veere went on to establish his own company in central London in 1996, one that continues to define the art of classic contemporary living.
His work has been consistently recognised at the very highest level with Veere holding a place in House and Garden’s Directory of 100 Leading Interior Designers for the past seven years, alongside being named one of Veranda’s ‘Magic Makers’ in 2013, and additionally is a proud member of Architectural Digests prestigious ‘Top 100’.
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