While Social Clubs have been around for hundreds of years, they are making a bold comeback. They’re quite popular on the coasts, like New York and LA, but I’m currently designing one called The Other Room in Minneapolis and am super excited about it! Like sophisticated bars, these social clubs are exclusive, oftentimes even requiring an interview process.
Their swanky décor and fascinating histories makes the interior design of these social clubs quite intriguing. Here are some fun trends I’ve noticed while designing one:
Fanciful Lighting
Soho House, California http://www.sohohousewh.com/
The Norwood Club, New York http://www.norwoodclub.com/
Lighting spans from reds to yellows to greens, really giving a relaxed vibe in the clubs. But on the dance floors you’ll often find disco lighting, like the great disco ball above.
Crushed Velvet
Soho House, California http://www.sohohousewh.com/
The Norwood Club, New York http://www.norwoodclub.com/
Crushed velvet is the ultimate luxury material and it dates way back to the 1300s! Back then it was a sign of nobility, and even in the 21st century it exudes a luxurious vibe.
Grand Staircases
Soho House, California http://www.sohohousewh.com/
The Union League Club, New York http://www.unionleagueclub.org
Not all social clubs are big enough for a grand staircase, but the ones that have the space will typically showcase a gorgeous staircase like the ones above. Nothing says “welcome to your exclusive club!” quite like an elegant staircase.
Sophisticated Furniture
The Norwood Club, New York http://www.norwoodclub.com/
The Yale Club, New York http://www.yaleclubnyc.org/
During the times of Prohibition, only the most well off could afford to be a part of the elite social club. The sophistication of the elite has stuck around these clubs, even if they’ve made their memberships a little less stringent. Sophisticated furniture runs from leather sofas to chairs with high backs to elegant vases, all of which you can see in the above images.
Libraries
The Union League Club, New York http://www.unionleagueclub.org
The Yale Club, New York http://www.yaleclubnyc.org/
On trend with sophistication, some social clubs even house libraries. Many of which, as I’m sure you can imagine, are expansive and beautiful.
To read more about the clubs in the images above, take a look at this article at guestofaguest.com and this one in LA Confidential Magazine.
Have you ever been to a social club? What did you notice about the interiors? I’d love to hear!