The right way to refurbish

Q What are the advantages and disadvantages of refurbishing my pub with contemporary furniture?​

One of the main advantages is that you can take a less is more approach with contemporary furniture. Obviously having less furniture and decoration can help keep your costs down. Contemporary furniture, which can often be stainless steel, is also easier to maintain - a vital factor for pubs. The opposite was the case a few years ago, when brass was predominant in pubs. It takes a lot of time and effort to maintain it.

The disadvantages are is that you can spend a lot of money on a modern look, which can quickly go out of fashion and look dated. With traditional furniture you may not get the same "wow" factor, but it will last a lot longer.

Q How much would it cost to completely re-furbish my pub with contemporary furniture and fittings? ​

This is very hard to answer as it completely depends on your pub. It could be anything from £100 to £100,000 - it depends on how big a makeover you want to give your pub.

Q I'm concerned that if I do a complete re-fit my regulars may not like it - any advice?​

A contemporary look will only suit certain types of premises and it really depends on the clientele it's aimed at. If it's not too "way out" then it shouldn't be a big problem for customers. Take a look around at your customers and see how you think they'd react. Saying that, people expect pubs to have a more contemporary feel these days, so it's not such a big deal. The last four years there has been a definite shift towards stainless steel type interiors, but again this isn't for everybody.

Q When is the best time of year to refurbish my pub? ​

After Christmas is always a good time because trade is generally quieter for pubs. January, February and March are always our busiest months. With Christmas being a busy time of year furniture can take a real hammering - so it can be good to spend a bit of money on sprucing up your pub after the Christmas break.

Q How can I keep up-to-date with current trends? ​

In general you can keep in touch by looking what's going on with trends in homes and it generally mirrors the pub market. A handy way is watching the DIY programmes that come on television - they can give you some great ideas for your pub.

Jay Bassett is managing director of Bar Fittings ​