Vintage value

"The word that keeps coming back to us is soulless," says Sally Huband, director of second-hand furniture supplier Pub Stuff.

It seems that an increasing number of licensees are looking to get away from the uniform look of modern pubs and bars and give people a dose of retro.

"It's a huge trend and it's growing all the time," explains Sally.

"People are asking us to make their pub look more original and authentic. They want character and want to bring back some of the eccentricity of the great British pub."

For some licensees thinking of giving their pub a facelift before the English smoking ban comes into force, bringing in retro or traditional furniture could make a good point of difference.

Sally has noticed a number of outlets trying to get away from the same uniform look. "Most people have an idea of what they want to achieve, but aren't quite sure how to do it," she adds. "We are doing three or four pubs a week - people are looking for something eclectic and not uniform."

Of course, this kind of look isn't for everyone, but it does make sense for pubs that don't mind mixing up what they have for furniture.

Sally explains: "It does give people flexibility. It means they can just mix and match rather than having to replace everything and do a complete overhaul, they can kind of evolve the pub organically."

She has also noticed that people are responding to customer demands. "It's customer feedback," she says. "People realise that aesthetics are important and add hugely to the impression customers get."

Meanwhile, Frank Hipkin, managing director of supplier Sprite Leisure, who has been in the business for 48 years, has noticed publicans taking an interest in the more traditional look.

"Some of our customers do seem to be after that more traditional, 'olde-worlde' look and they know it will last, so it offers good value for money," he says.

Some licensees have already taken the plunge (see case study, right) but for others with an eye to what works in the furniture stakes, it could be the time to look back to the future.

Case study: Orange Tree Group, Leicester​

Making a bar unique is what inspires the Orange Tree Group to invest in vintage and retro furniture. The company comes from a slightly different angle because of a predominantly 20 and 30-something customer base who are looking for an alternative experience.

Throughout the company's five bars you can see the effort that has gone into the aesthetics and making its customers feel like they are getting an experience they would not get elsewhere.

Ten years ago, going for the vintage look was a bold step, explains co-owner Ben Hings (pictured below). "From the East Midlands point of view, that was revolutionary. It had been happening in London for a while, but to see a sofa in a pub here was unheard of," he says.

One of Ben's pubs is a Victorian site and the idea was to have furniture that is in keeping with the rest of the building.

In terms of the advantages, Ben says: "With this type of furniture you can provide a look that is completely and totally unique. There's a level of expectation from our customers, they are expecting something slightly left of centre, not uniform table and chairs."

And the disadvantages?

"It can be quite difficult to source the stuff," says Ben, who stocks up on vintage furniture whenever he can. "With modern stuff you can just nip down to your local superstore, but it's not like that with this stuff."