A design for life?

Twenty-five years ago pub design was a relatively straightforward matter. A bit of flock wallpaper, a violently-patterned carpet and some red velour seating and you were home and dry.

But times have changed and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is a household name. In this post-Changing Rooms era everyone has an opinion on painting techniques or a talent for stencilling - and against stereotype it may be, but publicans are no different.

Design is big business for pubs and in 2002 the aim of the game is to be tasteful. Pubs are now designed to be less like smoky drinking dens and more like people's homes - to the point where customers are admiring paint colours, curtains or upholstery and even copying these ideas in their own houses.

Good design can make or break a pub - but, according to experts, it is not the first thing a purchaser should look for when buying a property.

"When I bought the Mason's Arms seven years ago it was a burnt out shell, you could see the sky from the basement, but I knew exactly how it should look," said Matt Jacomb co-owner of three London pubs, one of which is being refurbished at the moment.

"Similarly the Stonemason's was just about trading and the Pilot was better, but not perfect by any means. We have already taken away 15 skips of rubbish from inside the Pilot. It's important not to be swayed by what's there already."

Matt's three pubs - the Mason's Arms in Battersea, the Stonemason's in Hammersmith and new purchase, the Pilot in Chiswick, have all been redesigned according to his, very clear, ideas of how a pub should be.

"I'd say along with staff and the products, design is the key to a successful business," he said.

He was guided by principles that he believed would make his pubs trade well and attract customers.

"You've got to try and make it attractive to women," he said. "That means less intimidating than the traditional boozer - which makes sense. All the demographics tell us that women have got more money to spend now, so we need to get them into our pubs."

Both men and women, Matt said, are attracted to open spaces. "Open plan pubs don't tend to appeal to troublemakers - they're normally too embarrassed to start anything in front of everyone and I can say I've never had any trouble in my pubs."

Getting rid of small rooms and installing large windows, much like Wolverhampton & Dudley's Pitcher and Piano or Fuller's Fine Line concepts is one way to open up a pub - but, said Matt, it is important to strike a balance. A barn-style pub, such as Six Continents' It's a Scream may suit students but won't appeal to everyone.

Where colours are concerned it is important, once again, to find a balance. "You want to make it warm, but not too dark," said Matt. "That's also important with lighting - very few pubs have got their lighting right. It's a very subtle balance."

With the biggest factors taken care of, Matt warns it is important not to neglect the details.

"Things like toilets are vital," he said. "Detail is really important - make sure you get the right shade of blue or the right tiles for the toilets because these are the things that will make a difference."

Homely as modern pubs may be, it is also crucial not to forget the practical side of pub design - everything should be easy to clean, because it will get dirty.

"Traditional carpets make the place smell of smoke and beer. Wooden floors are much easier," said Matt. "It means our pubs smell of the food we sell rather than unpleasant things."

Although Matt organised his redesigns himself, there are teams of experts that can do the job. Refurbishment specialists KLC Ltd successfully redesigned the Punch Pub Company-owned Sofa Sofa in Walsall (pictured top)​ from a traditional town centre pub into a modern, upmarket bar and nightclub.

Similarly designers Graham Leonard Associates transformed an Irish-themed traditional pub in Ealing, London, into a chameleon outlet catering for daytime eating and turning into a young persons' bar later in the evening.

However, despite the growth of modern, stripped pine pubs, it is not all bad when it comes to traditional pubs.

Would-be pub vendors are often warned not to redesign a pub too radically in an attempt to push up a sale price because potential buyers, particularly corporate buyers, will generally want to start again anyway.

Six Continents' concept Ember Inns (pictured right)​ is no different - it has a reputation for buying community pubs that are trading well, but could do better, gutting them and refurbishing them as "traditional locals with a twist" - with much success.

The company claims "design has rapidly become a crucial element of the Ember Inns concept".

The pub chain's logo invites customers to "drink in the friendly atmosphere" and it is the traditional design - warm, carpeted with open fires - but with a modern slant - clean, practical and open - that creates such an atmosphere.

Ember Inns recently won a national award for design management at the International Design Effectiveness Awards. The company said the award proved "effective design strategy is one of the keys to success, as well as making the right impression with customers."

Pub company JD Wetherspoon too has built on the modern/traditional pub approach. Bill Colquhoun, associate director of agent Christie & Co, said: "They have taken on rundown pubs, banks, cinemas etc and completely revamped them. In September 1999 I sold a pub to Wetherpoons in which it has invested heavily to give it a new lease of life, introduce its own unique style and increase the customer base. It may be stating the obvious but if a refurbishment, such as this, results in increased turnover, this will add value to the business."

However, important as design may be - and there is no doubt that as Bill said, a refurbishment will add value - a potential vendor should use caution when considering a redesign.

Andrew Whiteford, associate director of agent Chesterton, said: "To make sure the pub is clean and tidy and give it a lick of paint before selling is never a bad thing, but to undertake expensive changes will rarely be advisable. I'd say spend the money on your accountants, because you're not going to make it back on a sale."