Building a cigar lounge at home is something that many smoking aficionados dream about. Many people give up on the idea of having their very own home cigar lounge assuming it’s too complicated or expensive. In reality, building an affordable (and impressive) cigar smoking room is more than possible.
From picking the perfect location and choosing the right furniture to ventilation and design, we’ll provide the insights you need to craft a comfortable and stylish at-home cigar lounge.
Choosing the perfect location
Selecting the right location for your home cigar lounge is essential. You need a smoking space that is easy to ventilate and has enough room to enjoy a cigar or two with guests without feeling cramped.
There are several areas you can consider when setting up a home cigar lounge, including:
- The garage: Domestic garages make a comfortable smoking space as they’re usually spacious and easy to ventilate as they’re usually equipped with air flow outlets. You can also crack the garage door open and let fresh air into the space during or after you’ve enjoyed your cigar.
- The attic: Loft or attic spaces are isolated enough from the rest of the house to offer a little smoking solace when you need it most. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that attics can cost a little more to renovate, as you may need to board the floor and insulate the space before setting up your lounge.
- The basement: Subterranean basement spaces are cozy, spacious, and separate from the main areas of the house. Before transforming your basement into a cigar lounge, ensure there’s enough airflow to prevent it from becoming too stuffy.
You can convert almost any room into an at-home cigar lounge. However, we recommend choosing a space with windows or vents that aren't too close to your home's bedrooms or food preparation areas to keep the cigar smoke separate from others in your household.
Furniture and comfort
Once you’ve decided on your smoking room space, it’s time to furnish it for convenience and comfort.
Choosing furniture that you love and reflects your personality is important as you’ll be spending a lot of time in your home cigar lounge.
To ensure your space is comfortable, functional, and built to last, here are a few tips to consider:
- Avoid soft fabric furniture as it will hold onto cigar smoke. Instead, opt for furniture made with wood, metal or leather-like material instead. Leather chairs can also add a cozy, rustic vibe to your lounge, especially once they begin to patina.
- Avoid carpeting, as it will absorb smoke and eventually give your smoking room a stale odor. Stone, laminate, or wood flooring are all suitable alternatives.
- Add shelving to your room to create easy-access storage for your cigar accessories and prevent clutter. Having your accessories on display will also add extra aesthetic flair to your lounge.
- Choose darker colors rather than creams or whites, as lighter tones are more likely to show smoke stains.
Ventilation and air filtration
Ventilation is a crucial part of any good home cigar lounge setup. In addition to choosing a room with existing ventilation options, you should also invest in the right equipment to keep your air fresh and prevent stagnation.
There are two popular air filtration and ventilation options for home cigar lounges. Let’s take a look:
Exhaust fans
Domestic exhaust fans (or extractor fans) can connect to your existing ventilation system and are fairly cost-effective to install. However, you should hire a professional to handle the installation.
These types of fans remove existing air from the room and release it through an external vent, preventing stale smoke from lingering.
Air purifiers
A reliable air purifier will last for years, making it a worthwhile investment for your smoking room.
While typically not the most aesthetically pleasing objects, air purifiers don’t take up much space and they’re effective. Most air purifiers plug into the wall, but if the space you choose doesn’t have power outlets, there are plenty of affordable and reliable battery-powered options available.
Most high-end cigar lounges use air purifiers in addition to their ventilation systems to absorb the smoke and keep the air clean.
Design and accessories
With your cigar lounge furnished and equipped with proper ventilation and filtration, all that’s left to do is add those all-important final touches.
Personalize your space with framed pictures or prints to add a personal touch, and invest in these accessories to make your home cigar lounge fully functional.
- Ashtrays: Equip your smoking room with at least two cigar ashtrays to minimize ash spillage and add visual flair.
- Cigar cutters: An essential accessory for any good smoking lounge, the best cigar cutters are sleek, stylish, and built to last.
- Lighters: You can’t spark up your favorite stogie without a quality cigar lighter, so you’ll need at least one of these for your lounge.
- Humidors: Not only do they look great on display, but storing your cigars in a humidor or humidifying device will keep them fresh and prevent them from drying out.
- Entertainment: Your cigar lounge should be a space where you can socialize and unwind. Adding entertainment options like speakers, a record player, a TV, and even board games will bring your space to life.
Stock up your cigar lounge
Once your lounge is set up and ready to go, you can stock it up with your favorite drinks and, of course, cigars.
If you’re struggling to decide what to stock your space with, try our cigar finder to discover your perfect smokes.
Storing your cigar collection properly and putting it on display will add that all-important finishing touch to your cigar lounge. Find out all you need to know about looking after your sticks with our ultimate cigar storage manifesto.