We all know that Christmas has 12 days, but no one is sure exactly why; the reason is lost in the mists of history. For most western Christians, Christmas is the biggest celebration in the religious calendar, and the number 12 has special importance, appearing many times in the Bible: the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 disciples, and so on. So it seems likely that Christmas’s 12 days are simply an expression of its importance as a festival.
In most Christian calendars, the 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day, December 25, and end on January 5, the Feast of the Epiphany (when the divine nature of Jesus was revealed to the Three Wise Men).
In some traditions, a gift is given on each day of the 12 days of Christmas (hence the popular carol). So, in the spirit of this tradition, here are 12 furniture and interiors ideas for owners of restaurants, bars, pubs and cafés, for Christmas – and beyond.
1: Be generous
Over the Christmas period, small inexpensive gestures can go a long way, creating goodwill among your customers. So: if you run a café or restaurant, have a row of candy canes hanging somewhere on your counter and offer them free to children on their way out (but check with the parents first: some might not appreciate giving their children a sugary treat). Have a big basket of Christmas crackers on your counter and offer to pull one with selected customers. Perhaps, too, you could team up with the charity of your choice and donate a percentage of all sales of, say, a particular type of coffee – and afterwards, let your customers know how much you have raised.
2: Rein it in
Let’s face it: Christmas can be overdone. Too many decorations, too much tinsel and suchlike – it can all become overwhelming, cluttered and naff. So don’t go overboard. Tinsel is tacky. Concentrate on the colours of Christmas – red and green – and introduce these through table linen, napkins, plants and flowers, candles. Glass containers filled with coloured baubles and pine cones are attractive and tasteful. Christmas lights, if they are done well, can look properly Christmassy.
3: Set out your stall
If you have space outside the front of your café, you could set up a stall selling Christmas treats – cups of hot mulled wine, mince pies and coffee. All that’s needed is a trestle table or two and some festive-coloured paper tablecloths, perhaps with fairy lights draped around it (see below). You could also offer free samples of items such as your brownies or cakes. It’s a good way of attracting passing shoppers and getting them to linger and take note of your establishment.
4: Sofa, so good
Beyond Christmas, it’s time to start thinking about the year ahead and how you can improve your interior. Do you have a large wall that seems somewhat empty or a space that’s not properly used? A sofa could be the answer. Increasingly, pubs, bars and cafés are using sofas – and armchairs – to create a homely, comfortable environment. Placing one against a wall, along with a low table, is a good use of space and will encourage customers to linger for longer. Leather and faux-leather are good materials as they are easier to clean when the inevitable spillages occur.
5: Case studies
Another way to encourage customers to stay longer is to install a bookcase and fill it with books for them to browse. Secondhand books are not expensive. You could even turn a bookshelf into a mini-libary. Cuts in public spending over the past few years have led to the closure of many public libraries. In reponse, micro-libraries have been springing up across the country, many of them located in small spaces such as old telephone boxes. They operate purely on trust: anyone is free to take a book away, as long as they return it, or replace it with another. So by encouraging your customers to borrow books, you are also encouraging them to come back to your pub or café.
6: High concept
The space alongside a window can sometimes be wasted in bars and cafés. A high shelf with a line of stools could help to fill it. The shelf of course needs to be stable and well secured so that customers feel that they can lean on it with confidence. High “poseur” stools give customers somewhere to perch. It doesn’t have to be super-comfortable; spaces such as these are best for people who are popping in for a quick drink or snack.
7: Space: the final frontier
New Year is a good time to take stock of your establishment and perhaps make some changes. Take a critical look at the way your furniture is arranged. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and walk around. Do you find that you have to swerve to avoid bumping into tables and chairs? Is there a clear route to the toilets? Would you be better off with round tables rather than square ones? Would new pub or café furniture brighten the place up? Can you remember what it’s like to come home from holiday and suddenly you see your house with all its faults, almost as if for the first time? Try to repeat this with your pub/café/restaurant interior. It’s easy, for instance, to overlook scuffed and tatty walls. A lick of paint and some fresh new furniture will make a world of difference.
8: Great outdoors
At this time of year it may be hard to imagine those balmy days of spring and summer, but perhaps now is a good time to start thinking about your outside area (if you have one). Today’s outdoor furniture is durable, weatherproof and often stackable. And with many of Trent Furniture’s outdoor furniture currently being offered at a reduced price (such as the Monaco natural wicker stacking chair), now is a good time to invest so that you will be ready for the warmer months.
9: Take the lead
If you run a pub, is it dog-friendly? If not, have you thought about making it one? Britain has around 8.5 million dog owners. By making it known that you welcome dogs – through signage, advertising and social media – you could tap into this market. It doesn’t take much to keep dogs – and their owners – happy: place bowls of water around the place and make the dog owners (and their dogs) feel welcome – say hello to the dogs, pat them, offer them dog treats. Pub companies such as London’s Three Cheers make a point of publicising their dog-friendly pubs. You might need to think about your furniture: dogs will scratch and bite table and chair legs, so perhaps you’d be best with cast iron furniture – Trent Furniture has a wide range.
10:Sign up for a chalkboard
Chalkboards are a fun way of attracting the attention of passers-by to your pub or café. An amusing slogan, a joke or a clever phrase, changed frequently, will get people to stop, and perhaps take pictures. For inspiration and ideas, check online or scroll through these examples from The Poke.
11: Home comforts
There was a time when most pubs were austere places. The choice of drinks was limited to beer and spirits. The furniture was usually hard and unforgiving. The customers were mostly men. These days pubs are warmer, softer places; women and even children are welcome, wine, soft drinks and coffee are served. Customers are more demanding: they want their home comforts, softer furniture, cushions, perhaps even rugs. So when you’re having a New Year rethink of your interior, consider buying a batch of cushions – they add colour as well as comfort. A throw or rug will go well with a sofa (see above) or an armchair. Your customers will thank you for it.
12: Keeping the spirit of Christmas alive
Once Christmas is over, the world can seem bleak and cheerless. But while the decorations and lights may have to come down (should it happen on the 5th or 6th of January? Opinions differ), these days it’s common to have fairy lights twinkling all year round in pubs, cafés and restaurants. Today’s LED lights are reliable and the light from them is crisp and bright. Trail them around your counter area, along shelves or across walls to add year-round sparkle and brightness. And when the weather warms up, they can add a magical sparkle to an outside area, a garden or a terrace.