Snooker Room

PROJECT: Snooker Room
LOCATION: Mayer, Minnesota (west of Waconia)
DESIGNER: Shelly Riehl Dávid, Riehl Designs, Inc., 733 E. Lake St., Wayzata, 952-440-4175, riehldesigns.com

Most bonus rooms take shape as gyms, play rooms, or spare bedrooms. Home-owners Mary and Mike Meuwissen—who live on a 110-acre horse ranch and own Michael Homes, Inc.—had similar plans for their above-the-garage space, envisioning it as an exercise room. But interior designer Shelly Riehl Dávid knew it could be much more exciting. “I stood there, looked at Mary, and said, ‘Join a health club!’ ” she says with a laugh. “We should turn this into a snooker room.”

The initial inspiration came from Dávid’s husband, Carl, who admired the cozy snooker (or billiards) rooms he saw during a trip to Scotland. So Dávid translated the idea into a dramatic design the homeowners immediately embraced. “This isn’t just a gentleman’s room,” Dávid emphasizes. “It’s sexy and savvy, like a great parlor.” <,/p>

The room boasts a snooker table, bar, poker table, and plush seating perfect for lounging. The color scheme is compelling and cozy, with a mix of what Dávid describes as Bordeaux and fuchsia. “We used a lot of rich, natural woods and antiques,” she says. “There’s no plastic in this space.”

The main sitting area nestles into a dormer nook. The sofa and ottoman are custom-made by California furniture company Dino Mark Anthony; they join an existing, but newly upholstered, wingback chair. Along with a large hand-carved mirror, the oversized furniture makes the area feel more spacious. “It’s a usable, full sitting room,” says Dávid, “even though it’s just a dormer.”

In the bar area the star is the credenza (not shown), an antique from Mary’s family that was well worth the extra work it required. “Mike had to remove a window and lift it into the space with a crane,” explains Dávid. A granite-topped bar and custom stools covered with mohair and tapestry fabric create a comfortable place to perch. A gas lantern—one of four in the room—hangs next to the bar, playing into the room’s warm lighting scheme.

Hand-scraped, dark-stained walnut floors ground the space, creating a permanence not often seen in bonus rooms. A damask wall covering introduces bold pattern and soft texture, and silk drapes with three layers of trim add a luxurious touch. Even the ceiling features a textured finish with nail heads that look like rich leather. Paired with the furnishings, the finishes serve an acoustical purpose, Dávid says, “softening the noise.”

“When we party in there, we party in there,” Dávid says. “When you close the door, you’re transported to another place, and people don’t want to leave. It’s a long way from a treadmill, baby!”