Sometimes a man just needs a place to escape — a place to leave the hustle and bustle of life behind and have a nice smoke. Now you might think that’s what a man cave is for. True, but if you’re a “refined gentleman”, a beer fridge, pool table and dartboard isn’t going to make the grade. A refined gentleman is a bit more sophisticated and requires a more tasteful setting. A place to recline and light up his favorite pipe and puff away while solving the world’s dilemmas.
Unfortunately, not every refined lady cares for the smell of her mate’s “thinking aroma”. What is a gentleman to do? Imgur’s BaconJacobs was faced with this challenge and decided to build himself a smoking lounge. It gets better though. He built himself a hidden smoking lounge that you can only enter if you know where the secret door is! (hint: bookshelf) It doesn’t get much more refined than this.
This bookcase was built from raw materials to fit a doorway that went to an old coal chute room.
Looks pretty convincing, and it should. It was leveled with a laser and carefully shimmed to fit like a glove.
Pop a hidden latch, and the glove comes off. What hides inside?
This work of man-cave mastery! And it didn’t cost as much money as it might look like.
That expensive looking chair on the left is a cheap vinyl one that BaconJacobs says smells like it came from a salon.
That’s a replica of the idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
This room has access to an old coal chute to place a fan for ventilation, and the electric fireplace can run unheated or heated on cold nights.
The wooden ship and metal boxes were found at estate sales for a low cost.
The map on the right is a vintage map, and the one above the desk is an old plot map. The desk is an old desk from his father’s basement.
It is the storing place for his tobacciana.
That includes three pipes. The only one he bought is a Churchwarden from the Petersen store in Dublin.
The dark wood is accented with a paint color known as “oxblood.”
A lounge just isn’t gentlemanly without a coat rack.
Here’s a view of BaconJacobs basking in the glory of his creation. Sorry ladies. The leg shot is all you get.
He does give you a good shot of this, though. It’s a picture of an old college buddy. Yes, it’s a raccoon.
Apparently this missus isn’t too keen on the photo. What better place to hang it than the back of the secret door? Cheers to you furry buddy!
Just in case he really needs his space, he installed a deadbolt and door latch modified with a steel cable running to it.
When he clicks the latch, this auto-closer does the job of opening the door. That sounds counter-intuitive, right? Well he rigged it up as an auto-opener instead.
What an awesome place to relax, light up and ponder away.
