Inside story

After last winter's pre-ban rush to

equip outdoor spaces, licensees are now looking to spruce up their indoor bar and dining furniture

In the aftermath of the smoking ban,

operators are trying to stay ahead of the competition by sprucing up the interiors of their outlets. After spending on smoking facilities outdoors, many licensees are now turning their attention indoors.

Barry Revell of Breachview Interiors says sales leading up to last Christmas were "horrible". He admitted: "I think everyone was spending on outside furniture to make the outside spaces look nice, with canopies and heaters, to get ready for the ban."

Now, he says, people are concentrating on refreshing the interiors of their pubs. "At the moment, we are very busy. Normally, the rush starts later on in November as people smarten the pubs for the Christmas rush."

Eating and seating

Another thing that Revell has noticed is an increasing number of pubs "switching to food" to counter the effects of the smoking ban.

"The dining furniture side is very busy, but we're also selling a lot of two and four-person poseur tables that can be used in additional eating areas." Bench seating is also proving popular in a move to maximise space for dining, he observes.

Breachview imports most of its furniture from Romania, which Revell says is made to contract furniture standards and is, therefore, suitable for the heavy wear-and-tear environment of a pub.

He cautions that "there's an influx of cheap, imported, high-back leather dining chairs coming into the country", which he says won't last very long. "My advice to anyone is buy the best that you can afford and make sure that it is contract quality."

Matthew Askey, proprietor of Michael's Furnishing & Upholstery, also reports a heavy workload. "It seems people definitely had refurbishment in mind and put it off until after the ban. Now, they are going for it.

"I'd guess we've seen a 50% increase compared with last year and we haven't been pushing hard for business." The firm, based in Harrow, Middlesex, specialises in making bespoke bench seating and sofas.

Askey remarks: "Benches give a very good seating position when eating and we can make any size to suit the space available."

Fabric coverings rather than leather are in vogue. "Modern chenille tones in very nicely with the light and bright colours people are going for."

Meanwhile, sofas covered in faux leather are winning out over those covered in real hide. Askey explains: "The quality of faux leather is very good these days and lasts as long as real leather. You don't get the cracks that you do with real leather and you can just wipe it over - you don't need leather soap."

Like Breachview, Michael's reports an

increasing demand for dining furniture and comfortable seating. "We're finding that many pubs are creating two separate bars, one

with bench seating in the dining area and the other is a lounge with sofas and comfortable seating."

Vintage Contracts is another company that makes all of its furniture at its Nottinghamshire base. Vintage's Mick Stokes says: "A lot of suppliers buy from overseas and, with many of them, it's a case of 'that's the size, that's the colour and that's it'."

"We can make anything that people want; in any fabric and in any size.

Stokes says licensees need to consider carefully before parting with their money. "All they see is the finished product, not the quality of the timber, foam and leather that has gone into making it. We have done many refits where all the furniture is scrap after a short time.

"Someone may have spent £7,500, compared with £10,000 that it would have cost from us, but it is not cost effective if they have to replace everything after only a few years."

For people considering leather upholstery, Vintage offers bycast - leather treated with a polyurethane coating. Stokes explains: "It is a permanent coating that is ideal for pubs where you're more likely to get drinks spillage on the furniture.

"With normal leather, you can be left with the after-effects of spillages, but not with bycast, as spillages don't soak into the leather."

Even though trade has picked up since the ban, Stokes says Vintage can manufacture to order, generally within two weeks.

Time to lighten up

Before the ban, the colour schemes and fabric chosen by many establishments were dark in order to mask the smoke and nicotine stains.

Peterborough-based Best Developments says: "Since the smoking ban came into effect, many designers are taking the opportunity to experiment with brighter colours and lighter fabrics. Bold stripes and circular patterns are quite fashionable and create a nice look."

The company specialises in bedroom furniture and, as well as selling new products, it removes used furniture from Marriott Hotels for re-sale.

Best Developments' Ann Bethelo says: "This means that if you are looking for five-star rooms and you want to do your bit to save the planet, then you can refurbish your rooms without so much as a tree being harmed. We currently have ex-Marriott rooms available for £199 for a complete bedroom, which is extremely good value for money."

The company is also about to introduce its Eva Rose collection - a range of 25 bedroom suites to suit all budgets and styles.

Bethelo says the collection will be launched at Jersey's Metropole Hotel from 6 to 11

November and "all are welcome".

Setting the mood

Getting the lighting right is one of the most important considerations when setting the mood inside a pub. There are countless permutations of table and standard lamps, ceiling lanterns, rope lights, spot lights, task lights, and wall and floor uplighters that can help create the right ambience.

However, the more lighting you have, the higher the electric bill. Simple economics dictate that switching to energy-saving bulbs makes sense. This is one of the reasons why Oliver Lamps, based in the Norfolk town of Fakenham, says it created a niche by concentrating on low-wattage, energy-efficient bulbs.

The family-run business was founded on a belief that "light bulbs could be manufactured that would last far longer than standard shop-bought light bulbs,

thus saving customers time and money".

The company's Marathon range of products is built to an entirely different specification than ordinary incandescent domestic light bulbs and last three times as long, averaging between 8,000 and 10,000 hours.

The only drawback at present is that virtually all low-energy bulbs are unsuited to dimmer-controlled lighting circuits. However, operations manager John Gay says there are products in the pipeline which could overcome the problem and should be on the market within nine months to a year.