Entry
$8k–$20k
Paint, lighting, seating, a bar cart or dry bar, a door that actually closes. Mood over millwork.
Hangout idea
Speakeasies & Cigar Lounges
A door, a dimmer, and the night that stays in.
A speakeasy is a room that changes the rules when the door closes. Soft seating, a low table, light you can talk under, and air that does not punish the rest of the house. If cigars are part of it, ventilation is the design — not a furniture choice you make later. If they are not, you still want the same hush: books, a cart, and nowhere for a television to interrupt.
Zone breakdown
- 01
The hideout
A small room or alcove, a lockable door, a cart or dry bar, and seating for four. Lowest build, strongest mood.
- 02
Proper lounge
Millwork, a wet bar, acoustic softness, and a table that can take a game or a bottle. Evening-first.
- 03
Ventilated cigar lounge
Dedicated exhaust, sealed door, wipeable surfaces, and seating that can take smoke. Do this right or not at all.
What it costs
2026 U.S. residential ballparks, not bids. Site work, permits, and finishes can move a project a full tier.
Mid
$20k–$50k
Built-in bar, better acoustics, custom light, seating for 6–8, maybe a hidden door gag if you mean it.
Premium
$50k–$150k
Full millwork, wet bar, HVAC dedicated to the room, humidor or cigar exhaust, a room that is a destination.
Design tips
Tip 1
If anyone will smoke, budget a dedicated exhaust path to the exterior. A 'filter in the corner' is how the hallway smells for a week.
Tip 2
Seating in clusters of 3–4 beats a single long sofa. Speakeasies are conversations, not audiences.
Tip 3
A hidden door is charming once. Comfortable chairs and a dimmer are charming every night.
Tip 4
Keep a TV out of the room unless it hides. The whole point is that this is not the living room.