Traditional billiard tables are heavy and bulky, in part because they have been designed for windowless, wood-paneled game rooms. Yet those thick, unshakable bases, mesh pockets, and bright felt playing surfaces can look out of place in today’s game rooms. A pool table is a piece of furniture, after all, and at eight or nine feet in length, it is a particularly imposing one. So you want to choose a table that reflects the design style of the room and maybe your own whimsy. "Even if you are an avid player, 99 percent of the time you’re not playing," says Lee Benson, president of Hurricane Custom Billiards, maker of custom tables with such distinctive styles that they almost function as sculptures. "So we try to make each table a conversation piece."

The latest designs include slender-legged tables that can be customized with felts and finishes appropriate for any setting, even the outdoors. In fact, the playing surface doesn’t have to be felt, and the base can be made of steel or chrome or a plastic polymer. And when not in use, a table can convert into a dining room table, or it can function as a stereo and maybe even produce a light show.

Modern Minimalist
The Soho ($11,000), which is designed and manufactured in Europe and sold exclusively through Pool Table Portfolio, represents the new, clean look of modern billiard tables. The legs are made of stainless steel, and the sleek rails are of solid wood. There is no skirting under the table and no visible ball-return system, because that would clutter the look. Instead, each leather pocket can hold six balls at a time.

You can custom order the table with a nearly unlimited range of fabric colors, and you can have the rails constructed from a wide selection of woods with a variety of stains or inlays.

The piece resembles a dining room table, and it actually can double as one. It comes with a wood cover that matches the rails and will convert it into an eating surface.

Outdoor Pool
Although most billiards enthusiasts prefer to play indoors, particularly in the winter, some folks love to take every activity outside, including pool. Unfortunately, the elements of heat and humidity can be cruel to a table made of wood, slate, and felt. So most people who want a table outdoors buy bargain models and let them rot under the open sky. Hurricane Custom Billiards was presented with the challenge of creating a beautiful and sturdy outdoor pool table and this is the result, the appropriately dubbed Outdoor Table ($17,500).
 
The design features phenolic panels custom made to look like wood. The playing surface is made of Brazilian slate, which can better withstand variable degrees of humidity, and it is covered with a special outdoor fabric that resists the elements better than standard felt. Nevertheless, the table does come with a cover, and Hurricane president Lee Benson recommends that the table remain covered when not in use. “This table is like a great car,” he explains. “Of course, it’s designed to withstand the elements, but you do want to take care of it.”

Rack and Rev
Instead of sitting on legs, Hurricane Billiards’ Unique Auto Sports Limited Edition ($48,500) is mounted on four low-profile tires. A system of cables keeps the playing surface steady. The table has leather-wrapped rails and chrome-plated open ball returns. It also has a programmable lighting display, located underneath, with lights that can fade in and out—or “breathe”—or flash. If you have an iPod dock installed on the table, you can program the light show to correspond to the music.

When asked why a pool table might require a sound system or a light display, Lee Benson, Hurricane’s president, answers, “The lighting comes in handy when the lights go down,” and he notes that in many homes, the game room is also the party room.

All Deco-ed Out
If you are as concerned with form as you are with function, you might want to have a look at the Miami, which is built by Mitchell Exclusive Billiard Designs. This table comes with all the standard specifications, including professional-style bumpers, a one-inch-thick slate bed, and wool-blend billiard cloth (in a custom-ordered shade that matches the decor of your room.) What’s distinct is the table’s appearance. With its polished or brushed stainless steel skirt and rounded base legs, the table has an alluring Art Deco look. Because Mitchell offers custom designs, you can order the table with square legs, which would give it a more modern appearance.

Knight Games
“If you live in a castle—and there are some people who do—you’ll want something more like this,” says Sarah DeFlumeri, president of Pool Table Portfolio, the exclusive distributor for the Emperor 1453 ($27,200). This is a full-size table made of steel panels that have been distressed to look like armor. The panels are fastened together with steel rivets. “It will go well surrounded by marble and wood flooring and larger pieces of furniture,” says DeFlumeri.
 
Glass Act
Most pool tables have a playing surface made of a one-inch-thick slab of slate covered by cloth to form a hard but silent surface. Recently, designer Craig Nottage, of Nottage Design in Adelaide, Australia, has been experimenting with pool tables made of glass. His first design was called the G-1, and it featured an elaborate visible ball return under the table, along with criss-crossing steel legs. This update, called the G-4 (about $33,000), features a much cleaner design. “I saw the design and knew immediately that I was in love,” says Sarah DeFlumeri, president of Pool Table Portfolio, the exclusive distributor for this table. “I want something that has the simple look of a dining room table but has a glass bed. It’s perfect.”
 
The playing surface is made of a single bed of toughened glass. The glass has been covered by Vitrik, a transparent film that allows the balls to roll silently and at approximately the same speed as they would on a felt surface. The Vitrik surface is easier to clean than felt, and it never will tear.