Billiard Room Design in the House: Design Tips and Photo Examples

Design rules

Room

Where to place a billiard room? What room to allocate for it? It is better to decide this question at the stage of choosing a house project. Depending on the size of the house and the number of rooms in it, a billiard room can be allocated either a separate room or combined with a library, living room, or arranged in the hall. Everything depends on the possibilities and desires.

The optimal placement option is considered to be basements, and there are reasons for this.

• Daylight, so necessary for all other rooms in the house, is contraindicated for a billiard room: it will inevitably interfere with the game. Therefore, the basement location eliminates the need to equip the windows with thick blackout curtains.
• Another advantage is the greatest possible distance from living rooms, because billiards is a rather loud game, the clatter of balls and blows on them can interfere with the rest of those family members who are not playing.

Size

The interior of a billiard room in the house depends on its size. And it, in turn, is determined by the size of the billiard table and the need to ensure free movement around it, as well as the ability to swing while holding the cue.

Thus, from the table to furniture that can interfere with the game, or to the walls, there should be a distance slightly greater than the length of the cue, usually about 180 cm or slightly less. However, you cannot leave space “at close range”, the more there is, the better. Depending on what type of billiards you prefer, the room size can vary significantly.

• So, for the American version of this popular game, tables from 1.8 x 0.9 to 2.54 x 1.27 m are used, while professionals play only on the largest possible table.
• Russian billiards requires an even larger room, the dimensions of the pyramid table start from 1.8 x 0.9 m, and a professional table is considered to be 3.6 x 1.8 m.

There are other varieties of this game, and, accordingly, other table sizes. In addition, the length of the cue is taken into account, which is also different for different games. Thus, depending on the type of billiards chosen and the specific size of the table for it, the size of the room is determined.

• For a table measuring 2.54 x 1.27 m, the length of the room should be at least 5.8 m, and the width – 4.5 m.
• The smallest table will require a room with dimensions of 5 x 4.1 m.

In this case, the presence of furniture is not taken into account, which is important to pay attention to! Therefore, the interior of the billiard room in the house must be carefully planned, leaving exactly as much space for the game as is needed, and arranging the furniture so that it does not interfere with the players.

Often, when designing a billiard room at the stage of creating a home design project, they first draw up a plan of this room, distribute the furniture in it, and only then decide on the final dimensions of the part of the house allocated for it.

Climate

A billiard table is a real work of carpentry art. It must meet certain requirements. Wood is sensitive to humidity, so both the table and the cues must be located in rooms where the humidity level does not rise above 60%. It is also important to avoid temperature fluctuations; the best option is a constant temperature in the range of 18-20 degrees.

Zoning

The main functional area of the billiard room is the play area. Here is a table of the selected size, around it there is space for players to move, taking into account the length of the cue and the need to swing it. The remaining space of the billiard room in a private house can be distributed in various ways.

For example, in one part, arrange a cozy relaxation area with a sofa, armchairs, a small table for coffee or tea. Since the game attracts attention, those sitting on the sofa and armchairs should see the playing field, and, therefore, be quite tall. Another option is to arrange a sofa corner on a specially built podium, which will provide a good view of the table.

You can separately arrange a bar corner – a counter, high stools or chairs, a small work area, including a sink, a place for storing dishes, as well as small household appliances (coffee machines or juicers).

In addition, it is necessary to provide space for the installation of special billiard furniture, namely, a rack for cues and a stand for balls, as well as other necessary gaming accessories. This furniture should be located in close proximity to the playing area so that during the game it is possible to put the balls back in place.

The interior of a billiard room in the house can be very rich, the number of functional zones in it is limited only by the available space. Additionally, the billiard room can be equipped with an entertainment complex using game consoles, a home theater can be built in it, and a good acoustic system will help create a pleasant atmosphere when the game is not in progress.

Advice. Due to an inaccurate hit, a billiard ball can leave the table and fly quite far, although not very high. It has great destructive power, since it has significant mass and high speed, so nothing fragile should be located where the ball can hit. Equipment, especially screens, are usually placed at a great height. The same applies to paintings under glass.

Finishing materials

Due to the specific nature of a billiard room, special attention is paid to the choice of materials for its finishing.

Floors

Billiard tables are made of natural wood, and the base of the tabletop is a marble slab, which means that the weight of such a product is very high. In particular, this is why basements are preferable for arranging billiard rooms rather than upper floors – not all floors can withstand such weight, their additional reinforcement will be required, and, as a result, additional costs.

It is not recommended to use ceramic tiles as a floor covering, since this is a rather fragile material, and a ball falling from the height of the table can break it. On the other hand, the flooring should not be too hard, for example, you should not leave a concrete floor without a flooring – a ball dropped on it can break, and this is a very expensive accessory for the game.

The following materials are considered the most suitable for billiard room floors:

• wood,
• cork,
• carpet (carpeting).

Depending on the design of the billiard room in the house, you can choose a combined option, for example, making floors from wooden boards, and placing the table in the center of a large carpet that extends beyond it by at least half a meter on each side.

If you can’t find a carpet of this size, you can lay carpet runners around the table. The main thing is that the flooring is not slippery and does not threaten players with a fall. In the guest, bar and other areas of the billiard room, you can use other types of flooring, depending on the overall style.

Walls

Since the sound of balls hitting each other is quite loud, it is necessary to use noise-absorbing materials when finishing the walls. The ideal option is cork wallpaper. If a billiard ball hits them, they will not crack, and the ball will not be damaged. However, these can also be wooden panels with a soundproofing layer underneath, as well as materials such as textured plaster, fabric wallpaper, and fabric panels.

In some cases, plasterboard walls are built, which are filled with mineral wool or other insulating materials inside.

Lighting

The interior of the billiard room in the house should have the right lighting. And here it is necessary to pay attention to some features of the lighting scheme. It is worth keeping in mind that billiard rooms usually have high ceilings, since special lamps for the playing area have a special suspended design.

• The most illuminated place is the playing area. Several lamps are located above the billiard table, and the distance from the light source to the table should be at least 80 cm, but not more than 1 m.
• The sources above the table are positioned so that they are at eye level, evenly illuminate the table, and do not blind the participants in the game.
• The light should be diffused and not create shadows on the playing field, as they can reduce the accuracy of the hit.
• The rest of the room should not have bright spots of light, the lighting in it should be subdued. This will help players focus on the game and will not distract them.
• In the design of a billiard room at home, traditional lighting options are usually used – lampshades hanging over the tables, which can be made of different materials. They can be made in both classic and modern styles.
• If the room does not have very high ceilings, then ceiling lights can be used to illuminate the table, but in terms of interior design, they will be inferior to the traditional option.
• The sofa area, near the bar or the game console area should have its own sufficient lighting, but during the game it should either be turned off or turned on at part of the power, which can be achieved using rheostat switches.
• In addition, it is necessary to provide the ability to turn on and off each of the light sources independently of the others. Of course, the structure that illuminates the gaming table should also be switched on and off independently of the other lighting fixtures.
• The classic version of creating subdued lighting in the gaming room involves the use of low-power sconces, but in large quantities. They create a uniform twilight, which, in combination with active lighting of the table, provides ideal conditions for the game. However, recently, LED strip lighting has been used for this purpose.

Style

The style of the interior of a billiard room in the house is determined by the main and most important piece of furniture – the gaming table. All tables look approximately the same, they have wooden legs, usually of a very expressive shape and decorated with carvings, and a tabletop covered with cloth.

The wood can be both dark and light, and have any shades – from almost white to dark cherry or almost black. A special cloth is used to cover the table, and traditionally it is green. However, the latest fashion trends allow using cloth of a different color, for example, blue, burgundy, brown of various shades.

Thus, the interior will definitely have wood, and one of the colors listed above as, at least, an additional one, and if the billiard room is small, then a pair to the main one. This combination is used in various styles, you only need to complement the decor with appropriate accessories.

• Country. If you are a fan of this style, decorate the ceiling with wooden beams, leave some of the walls unfinished in a wooden house, and cover them with textured plaster in a brick house.
• High-tech. This modern style can be used in a billiard room. In this case, choose an unconventional blue cloth for the table cover, and keep the wall decoration in gray tones. Cover the lamps above the table with metal lampshade caps.
• Eastern. The Eastern stylistic direction prefers burgundy tones and a large amount of gold. Gold-colored lamps above the table covered with burgundy cloth will set the right tone. They will be supported by decorative elements in the design of other areas of the room, as well as wallpaper on the walls with an oriental pattern of monograms.
• Classic. The English style is considered classic for a billiard room in a private house. In this case, the upper part of the walls is covered with fabric panels, and the lower part – with wood, matching the wood to the color of the table base. As a rule, the wood should be red, but the cloth on the table – only green, no options! Above the table – traditional lamps in lampshades. In other areas of the room, furniture made of natural wood is also used, preferably massive, giving the impression of reliability and solidity. Sofas and armchairs can be upholstered in leather.
• Ethnic. For those who love originality in everything, an ethnic style is suitable. This can be, for example, an African or Japanese design. In the latter case, the color of the cloth on the table can be beige or have a red tint. The base of the table should be very simple, without carved elements. The wall decoration is maintained in white, gray, black tones with the addition of red as an accent. On one wall, it is appropriate to place ink paintings, Japanese fans or other objects reminiscent of Japan. Instead of the usual sofas and armchairs in the recreation area, you can put thick mats or put small poufs – but in this case, be sure to build a podium for them, since otherwise it will be impossible to watch the players.

Accessories

The interior of the billiard room in the house can be almost anything, the main thing is that it is comfortable for its owners. However, once you choose the direction, you need to adhere to it in all the details.

When choosing textiles or accessories, you must remember that each thing that stands out from the general style will disrupt the atmosphere of the room, the only exception is the eclectic style, and that is in the hands of experienced designers. A few tips will help you navigate correctly when buying small items for equipping a billiard room.

• Lamps not only provide lighting, but also create an atmosphere, so they should be selected in strict accordance with the style.
• Ashtrays, clocks, picture frames – all this should be maintained in one, chosen style. If the room is decorated in the traditions of good old England, you cannot put plastic ashtrays or attach sconces on flexible legs to the walls, these accessories are suitable for the high-tech style.
• It is desirable that the accessories are thematically related to billiards, reminding of it.
• When placing photographs, paintings, posters on the walls, make sure not only that their frames match the style. The image on the canvases should also work for the general idea, and support the chosen style.