Getting creative with your interiors — even on a budget — could be just the thing to give your premises a fresh feel and make customers take note, reports Rachel Barnes.
A flashy refit is not on the cards for most licensees right now, but that doesn't mean it's fine to overlook your pub's environment.
"It's basically about buying cheap and using your imagination to change it into something else," explains Hetta Johnson, creative director of Antic, which owns 12 London pubs including the Dogstar in Brixton and the East Dulwich Tavern.
Johnson is a firm believer in decking out the company's pubs in what is essentially bric-a-brac picked up from car boot sales and eBay. But she also keeps an eye out for freebies.
"There are a lot of things you can get for free if you look in the right places, such as recycling websites or what's left at the end of markets — or even skips," she says.
Although it is important to set parameters to avoid "a scary mismatch", Johnson says the nature of this approach means you must be open to adapting your plans, depending on what you find.
"I've just picked up a load of sewing machine covers for free as someone was getting rid of them. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do with them yet, but they are very decorative. Not every item needs to serve a functional purpose."
If trawling around a skip is a step too far for you, there are more traditional places to seek out second-hand bargains.
While Sally Husband, director of second-hand furniture business Pub Stuff, says eBay is great for picking up bits and pieces, she cautions that licensees need tables and chairs that are fit for commercial purposes. "You really need contract furniture in order to stand the wear and tear of commercial use," she says.
As well as selling a range of furniture, Husband has also helped licensees put together design plans, offering gentle advice from moving around furniture to chucking out dead plants.
"It doesn't have to be a case of spending £50,000 or nothing," she adds. "We can put together a plan, using co-ordinated fabrics, helping with the choices of paint and wallpapers. If you keep hold of the plan and take it with you when you're looking to buy something else, then it's a case of adding complementary pieces as you go along."
Doing it in bite-sized chunks is also a way to spread out the cost, suggests Husband. "Start with something small such as adding new bar stools, as these are one of the first things customers notice. If you're spending £1,000, make it obvious that you are investing in your business."
But if design is not your forte, you can also call on expert help. It may incur additional costs, but there are still relatively low-budget options to explore.
Colin Mills, managing director of commercial interior design firm Colin Mills Contracts, says it has become more commonplace for pubs to opt for a "sparkle" rather than a total refit.
"We have just done a pub in Liverpool city centre at a cost of £30,000, giving it a redecoration right through, painting the ceilings and walls, putting down a new timber floor, new carpets, new curtains and refurbishing the toilets," says Mills. "Stripping out the whole place would obviously cost a lot more and take longer than the 10 days we took. But this was enough to make an amazing difference."
If your budget still doesn't stretch that far, Mills says there are plenty of ways to spruce up your pub without breaking the bank.
The first thing to consider, he says, is a general clean-up. "Most of the time you can give carpets — and sometimes curtains — a decent professional clean. Licensees can also look at re-upholstering furniture and varnishing table tops. We are happy to talk through the options and give free quotes on what can be done within their budget."
The company has even sourced some items from car-boot sales for clients. But Mills warns that seeking out knick-knacks can be a big time investment.
"Yes, you can look at buying bric-à-brac, but you could end up spending a lot of money just on new pictures and olde-worlde books," he adds. "Make sure you are spending your money wisely on things that matter to customers. Many people are not prepared to take the risk at the moment. But you don't need to spend a fortune to make a difference."
As Antic's Johnson admits, some people are naturally more creative than others when it comes to a design vision. But she believes everyone has it in them to take the DIY option.
"A lot of it is about being a scavenger, and it can be relentless — but it's worth it," she adds. "It's never exact, so it always looks different, depending on the person. Just remember… if it looks like a heap of rubbish you can throw it out and start again."
Top tips
• Create a design plan and a palette to keep you on track.
• Take your time — you don't need to do everything at once. Buy pieces when you see them or focus on one part of the pub at a time.
• Check out free websites such as Freecycle, or even look in skips.
• Use eBay to fill in the gaps, such as job lots of old books or pictures.
• Get arty. If the items you find don't suit your colour scheme, give them a coat of paint to suit your design plan.
• Use your imagination. Everyday objects can become decorative with a bit of vision.
• Give carpets and curtains a professional deep-clean and paint the walls — it could be enough to freshen up the environment.
DIY case study — Sara Smile, the Queen's Head, Boughton-under-Blean, Faversham, Kent
Sara Smile, licensee of the Queen's Head, took over the pub two years ago and was faced with a complete overhaul.
"As it was the beginning of the recession, we wanted to keep our outgoings as low as possible, with a budget for the whole thing limited to £2,000. So, we decided to source everything ourselves, going to boot fairs and auctions as well
as eBay.
"I picked up a table and four chairs, all solid wood, for £20. I've gone for very sturdy 1950s furniture, which I'm sure is better made than a lot of today's contract furniture.
You can find some amazing bargains on eBay — I've even bought Chesterfields. But you do have to make sure you are buying furniture that is fire-retardant.
"None of our furniture matches, but it really doesn't matter as it adds to the character. We have re-upholstered some of it with funky fabric to help co-ordinate it all.
"We've also bought blackboards, a big selection of mirrors, some old-fashioned Bakelite telephones, bits of odd china and coloured glass. I got the idea for the glass collection from a clothes shop and saw how easy it would be to replicate with great effect.
"There are lots of small things you can do that make a big impact — for example, we have a wall of mirrors in one room, and some flock wallpaper on a feature wall in the dining room. Although the wallpaper is expensive, we only needed one- and-a-half rolls.
"We didn't want to scare off any of the old customers with anything too modern. In fact, several people have been great and have given us some fantastic old photographs of locals to put on the walls.
"Anyone can take this approach. I was constantly visiting pubs and other places to pinch ideas. There are many alternatives to just buying a package furniture deal that allow you to be a lot more creative with your own design, evolving it as you go along.
"You don't have to do everything in one hit. I'm still adding bits, such as old, funny signs I pick up for a few quid."