Designing a Retro-Style Smoking Room

A smoking room is great if you want to keep the smell out of the rest of your home. It can be a place where you can unwind and enjoy a smoke. In the old days, men would retreat to the smoking room to have a cigar and a cocktail. A retro smoking room has a warm, classy feel to it. Here are some design ideas that you may want to incorporate into your smoking room.

The Furniture

Furniture for a retro smoking room should be dark. Chairs will be covered in leather or fake leather. It is functional, but will also make for easy cleaning to remove odors. Retro leather chairs were usually brown, but you could use any color. The tables were made of heavy wood. If you want to use tables that are not so expensive, You can get the feel of heavier furniture by painting or staining it a dark color.

Flooring

Retro floors in a smoking room were usually hardwoods. If you do not have hardwood floors, you can lay down wood look tiles on your floors. If you happen to have carpeting in the room you are converting and do not want to remove it, purchase a room-size rug in dark colors.

Wall Treatments

To achieve the ambiance of a retro smoking room, add wainscoting halfway up the walls. For the top area of the wall, hang a retro patterned wallpaper or paint a deep color such as burgundy, navy, or hunter green. If your budget allows, add wood molding around the top of the wainscoting.

Add a Bar

You can add a full bar to your room if there is sufficient space. If not, a mini bar can be placed in an empty corner. A mini bar can be set up on a table with shelves. Be sure you have an array of glasses and an ice bucket. If you can get an ice bucket covered in dark leather, even better. You can also look for retro-style glasses at antique stores or online.

Accessories

To finish up your retro smoking room, you will need to complete it with the right accessories. Place several glass ashtrays around the room. Also incorporate large plants and trees in retro pots around the room. They not only give the room atmosphere but will help to recycle the air. Humidors come in many sizes. Find one that fits your budget and display it with several choices of cigars. Hang a collection of framed memorabilia around the room. This can be of any trend of the retro period, be it sports or tobacciana. Place a few antiques, or replica antiques around the room. Consider a retro clock, old books, old cigar boxes, or a cigar pipe collection.

Lighting the Room

In retro smoking rooms, the lighting was quite subdued. Place a few lamps around the room. Brass will work well for this project or any heavy lamp. A retro floor lamp placed in a corner or by a chair will bring in more light. If you are really going all out in your retro smoking room, add a chandelier or a crystal swag light.