Commercial furniture doesn't have to leave you with a headache - there are plenty of options available whether you are looking for pub, restaurant or hotel furniture, seating for banquets, or weatherproof tables and chairs for beer gardens, terraces and other outdoor areas.
Whatever you need, there's enough variety out there to not only get something suitable, but even to find several complementary styles that will keep your interiors (and exteriors) interesting and versatile.
In the guides we will be publishing over the coming weeks, we will look at different categories of furniture - bar furniture, restaurant furniture and so on - and giving you some of our own top tips for choosing furniture that will serve your needs the best.
This includes thinking about:
• Best use of space;
• Health and safety/fire regulations;
• Ergonomics/comfort;
• What customers really want.
We'll give you some ideas about how to pack the most punch with just one or a few items of furniture, and how to get the best value for money on any budget.
First up, we'll begin with some general buying guides to bar furniture and restaurant furniture - and while there are some crossovers between the two, especially if your bar serves food (or your restaurant welcomes parties for drinks only), each application deserves to be considered in its own right.
Of course, there are some important first steps to follow when preparing to buy commercial furniture, and a good starting point can be to list the following:
• 'Ideal' budget (and how much you can go over this for the perfect furniture);
• Target capacity - number of chairs and tables you want, etc.;
• Floor space - and how much space per person this will give you;
• Intended uses, including the main use (dining, drinking) and any occasional uses;
• Type of furniture required - wood, metal, outdoor, weatherproof etc.
These can help you to start thinking about your space as a kind of container for your new furniture - kind of like framing a photograph - so you choose the best selection of commercial furniture to meet all of your criteria.
From there, you can begin to focus more on the specifics of your particular project - which we hope will be covered by one of our upcoming guides.