Mahjong Mania: Is Home Design Becoming All Fun and Games?

Mahjong currently has its chokehold on the leisure class. In November, the Kips Bay Show House in Dallas featured an entire Mahjong Room by Ellerslie Interiors. However, the return to play goes far beyond just mahjong. On every suburban cul-de-sac or city block, game nights are popping up faster than a $1,500 stroller at the playground. Perhaps it all began when COVID shut the world down, and it felt like everyone rediscovered a love for games, cards, and puzzles. Several years later, that fondness for play hasn’t gone the way of the Zoom cocktail hour. In fact, it’s only gotten bigger. Homeowners are going big on games tables, game nooks, and even game rooms designed expressly for analog pastimes such as Rummikub, chess, and now, mahjong. Celebrities ranging from Jennifer Aniston to David Beckham have designated game rooms in their homes. Jennifer Garner showcases a Rummikub table in her living room. And Cara Delevingne even has a David Lynch–inspired poker room. The tile-based game, which is typically played by four people, is having a greater influence than just turning a typical wine-and-cheese evening with the girls into a bustling game night; mahjong (particularly the newly popular American version of the traditional Chinese game) is actively influencing the design world and the furniture we use daily, inspiring colorful pieces of furniture that are conducive to conversation and face-to-face interaction. Minimalism may have its place, but in a doomscrolling world that’s desperate for deeper connection, games tables are turning design into a bonding experience. Game-inspired furniture Jen Dulac of Jen Dulac Interior Design recently installed a peacock blue Thomasville table in the game area of a 1930s home, where the owner loves to play mahjong, and their three sons love to play chess and build Legos. “The bamboo legs are a fun nod to mahjong’s origins, and, of course, the bamboo legs echo the bams suit in the tiles,” said Dulac, who notes that her own book club has morphed into a mahjong club. Some furniture inspired by mahjong takes its influences more literally. In 1971, Hans Hopfer introduced the Mah Jong sofa, which, according to Roche Bobois’s website, “infuses conventional living rooms with a sense of freedom.” An appreciation for analog pleasures Given that the sofa’s been around since 1971—and the game is believed to date back to China’s 19th-century Qing Dynasty—it’s tempting to ask Why now? about the game-specific furniture trend. The answers are staring us in the face. When your Sunday iPhone notification hits with the average number of hours you spend on your device, it’s no surprise that the rise of mahjong and other social games speaks to the trend of gathering over analog, ASMR-friendly pastimes. “We’re all on our screens so much, and I think creating spaces that are not meant for screens is really welcome right now,” says Cara Fineman, owner and principal designer of Dag Design. Games like mahjong allow people to connect in a genuine, authentic manner that fosters conversation. With information about the negative effects of alcohol dominating the headlines, gatherings that were previously based strictly around booze are dwindling. And with a loneliness epidemic causing significant health issues, people are willing to invest in furniture that encourages connectedness. “I feel like it used to be that adults were gathering around to have cocktails in a formal living space. This is a little bit of a different trend,” said Fineman. “It’s connecting in a different way.” Creating a game zone Fineman has always done games tables for her clients. But within the last two years, she’s had four different projects where the clients requested mahjong-specific zones. In each one, she noted features that have become essential components of a good game zone: “Typically, you’re sitting for a game for a good hour, so comfortable seating” is a must, said Fineman. “You want to be able to sit upright. You don’t want anything that’s too loungey.” She also noted that overhead lighting is essential, which is why hanging pendant lighting can be helpful. The table, which could be round or rectangular, needs to be big enough to house all of your tiles, as well as offering space for a drink and a snack. If the concept of mahjong-themed furniture appeals to you but you don’t play the game, there’s no need to jump on the tile bandwagon. Choose whatever live-action pastime you like and set up a grown-up play space. A games table can host puzzles, chess, trivia, teatime, whatever you enjoy doing offline. To have a beautiful piece of furniture that’s made for socializing but can also be perfectly functional for everyday life is one of the great demands of the modern home. “I love that the games table isn’t just for games. It’s one more great reason to actually use your living room day-to-day—you can spread out the paper on a Sunday morning and enjoy your coffee sitting at it; kids can do their homework at it,” said Dulac. “It’s also a great place for a small, intimate dinner for two or even four, or a surface for drinks and apps if you have a larger gathering with groups hanging out on the sofa and chairs, watching a game or having a book club meetup.” Just don’t turn it into a WFH desk—that would be a betrayal of all that is the game zone.