There is nothing anachronistic about the type of smoking chairs - also called club chairs - that members of London's elite gentlemen's clubs of the 1800s would relax in, cigar in one hand, brandy in the other. Indeed, these large, comfortable, high-backed, luxurious seats are enjoying a resurgence, as designers reinvent them for modern - and usually smoke-free - households.

Belgian designer Stefan Schoning has come up with the Smoke chair (below) for Antwerp-based design house Feld (feld.be). A modern interpretation of the classic club chair, the Smoke has also been inspired by Bergere chairs, the popular, wide, upholstered seats produced during the French regency period. The Smoke comes in muted beige or taupe leather, the fabric covering every inch of the square-ish chair.

For Amsterdam-based design house Moooi Gallery (moooi.com), designer Maarten Baas has taken the assignation to heart, creating a black leather Smoke chair (above) made from burnt wood. The result: a chair that is both regal and edgy, featuring a tufted leather back rest and sculpted wood legs.