The smoking thread was interesting. I sort of feel special about my studio now and grateful I live in Portland, OR where smoking is allowed until the end of next year.
What I'm really interested in now is what kind of atmosphere you folks maintain in your studio to keep things comfortable. Smoking and drinking is how I maintain mine, and I have no art or other decorations around whatsoever (I do have this picturebook laying around of 'Unuseless Japanese Inventions' that amuses everyone). My control room is cozy with a large soft couch and gray Auralex covering the walls and ceiling to absorb the flutter echo against the mud and taped and painted drywall. My performance room is totally amazing because how large and high ceiling'd it is (and built of wood in 1924). I am completely happy with the vibe of my studio, and I consider myself sensitive to those things. I recently got tours of a couple of 'pro' studios in Portland, and I was really surprised by how clinical they felt. I sort of understand, vaguely, the concept of a studio as a 'professional' environment (like a dentist office), but it's totally beyond me how artists that I actually like could produce good work in those places. Maybe artists like Peter Gabriel (who I love) thrive in those kind of places (not smoke filled rooms), where total precision is really the aim, not just a loose comfortable vibe.
And by the way, what's with the lava lamps I see in those SSL studios on the cover of Mix magazine? Don't other people think those things are ridiculous?