Can pool tables be modern?

Just the idea of a pool table brings to my mind a smoky bar with low-hanging, green-shaded lamps and a solid wood-and-slate possibly coil-operated behemoth. Not very modern, is it? Even large, recently-built billiards establishments can't get far away from the stereotype, and most homes that have a bonus room packed with billiard and air-hockey equipment likely don't have much more that the builder's standard overhead fixtures.

There are, however, some more contemporary options for those who take their aesthetics as seriously as their carom shots. Brunswick's Manhattan table ($15,750) has a slick stainless steel base and a slate top. If you look around with a creative eye, you'll find other modernist selections, but one of the most dramatic is the Olhausen Waterfall ($8600). The curvaceous maple-finished table is more than just a gaming surface. Paired with a contemporary pendant fixture, the modern statement will be unmistakable.