Holiday parks
In the past few years, the British have rediscovered the pleasures of holidaying in their home country. This is thanks to the effects of the financial crisis, and the fall in the value of sterling following the Brexit referendum. And we are rediscovering the holiday park. Once a byword for spartan conditions, holiday parks now offer high levels of comfort and sophistication. Their furniture should reflect this.
In the accommodation and living areas of these parks, space is at a premium, so it’s best not to squash in too much furniture. A breakfast bar with high stools in the kitchen area is a space-saving solution. Living areas will need comfortable sofas and armchairs, preferably in neutral shades. And bear in mind that people will visit each other’s accommodation and take note of the decor, so perhaps each unit could be individualised by varying fabrics and finishes. Customers will appreciate this “personal” touch.
But it’s in the outside areas that a holiday park can really make its mark. Increasingly, these parks offer hot tubs, decked areas and terraces. Some even offer “treehouses” – accommodation elevated to treetop level, linked by walkways, with lots of outside spaces. These spaces will need furnishing. Outdoor furniture has long since progressed beyond the bog-standard set of four white moulded plastic chairs (with matching table) and the ubiquitous picnic bench.
Chairs and tables in a variety of durable materials are now available: hardwoods, cane and metal (usually aluminium), weatherproof rattan, wood-effect finishes. Many of these are stackable for winter storage. These products show that outdoor furniture can be both stylish and practical, comfortable, and functional.
Cricket clubs
The thwack of willow against leather; a ripple of applause. On the green, the teams are kitten out in cricket whites. In the afternoon, everything will stop for tea – and it will be a grand tea, a table laden with sandwiches, cakes and scones.
Cricket is a sport that’s steeped in tradition. Things have to be done a certain way. Don’t ask why: it’s just the way things are done. And that should go for the furniture. A cricket clubhouse is not a place for modernist designs – it should be soberly furnished, with predominantly natural fabrics in neutral shades (and the cricket tea should be presented on tables draped with white linen tablecloths).
Inside, there should be comfortable chairs, club chairs and tub chairs in leather (or, at a pinch, a convincing substitute); in the bar and dining areas, there should be chairs and tables in wood or wood with upholstery. Nothing too shiny! Outside, for spectators, white benches and perhaps some folding chairs, or stackable outdoor chairs. How very traditional. And perfect.
Rugby clubs
The rugby club is still at the heart of many an English town or village, a place where both players and followers of the game and hangers-on will congregate, celebrate, eat and drink. There was a time when the clubhouse would have been, essentially, a cavernous space with functional chairs around the perimeter, perhaps a few tables, a bar, and little else. Many people would have spent their time standing up.
These days, we want a bit more comfort. But that shouldn’t mean setting out rows and rows of tables and chairs in regulated ranks; the heart sinks at such a sight. Interior designers use a method which they call “zoning”: dividing a space into zones, which have different uses. So there will be the bar itself, with space for people to buy their drinks, but also perhaps some high bar stools.
Next, there are the standard-height tables and chairs, where groups can sit, drink, snack, chat. Don’t put them in straight lines – mix them up, put them at angles. And in the corner, a more laid-back vibe could be created with low tables, armchairs, club chairs, tub chairs and suchlike. And mix up the finishes and fabrics – tartan and checks have recently made a comeback. The zones, of course, are not separate, but flow into each other: an evening that begins at the bar might end on a sofa.
Golf clubs
They call it the “19th hole”: the place where, at the end of a thirst-making round of golf, the reward is to sit back with something cool and refreshing. It’s also a place where non-golfing visitors meet up for a drink, a coffee, a snack or a bite to eat. But whether it’s populated by dedicated players or by those who wonder what this pursuit of a small round ball is all about, the golf clubhouse is a sedate place, and its furniture should reflect this. It’s a place for sitting back, clinking glasses, murmured conversation; softness, comfort and elegant simplicity should therefore be the guiding rules. Low-level chairs and low tables will encourage a relaxed ambience. Deep leather sofas and club chairs lend an air of tradition and solidity.
Perhaps a few high stools could be placed up at the bar for solitary drinkers. Golfers are a quiet bunch; many golf clubs ask members and visitors to be discreet with their mobile phones, and some etiquette guides advise against their use in clubhouses (and also on the course itself). The furniture should be likewise: quiet and comforting.
Student unions
Readers of a certain age will remember the student union bar fondly, but not for its ambience. The floor would probably be sticky with old beer; the air would be a fug of tobacco smoke and beer fumes; the furniture would be chipboard tables with peeling veneers, wobbly chairs, and little else. There might be a jukebox. Today, following the huge growth in universities and the numbers studying at them, the student union bar has had to smarten up – it will have plenty of local competition, after all. So: the decor will be bright, clean, contemporary. The bar will serve a broader range of drinks than the old menu of Newcastle Brown Ale (though brown ales are said to be making a comeback). And the furniture will be clean-looking, in metal or perhaps blonde wood.
This is not a place where you’ll find a comfy armchair in the corner; youngsters are less bothered about home comforts. And bear in mind, too, that many student union bars also function as cafés during the daytime, so furniture should be flexible: seating cubes that can be moved around, tables that can be shunted together or scattered, stackable chairs. And it’s worth bearing in mind that most students are youngsters. They can be careless. So everything should be durable, hard-wearing and easy to clean.
Wedding venues
It used to be a straight choice: church, or register office? Today of course all kinds of premises can host weddings – all that’s required is a licence; the local council will need to be convinced that the premises are “seemly and dignified” and that they will be regularly available for marriages or civil partnerships. So, grand estates, country houses, hotels, converted barns, as well as well-known locations such as London Zoo and Shakespeare’s Globe on London’s southbank – all these are now hosting ceremonies and the celebrations that follow.
Many of these venues are used for other purposes, so they need to be flexible. Each wedding is of course special and unique, and will be decorated with the patrons’ choice of flowers, etc. But at the same time there will need to be predictable elements: the chairs, the tables, the table linen, cutlery, crockery, and so on.
Tables and chairs will need to be stackable so that they can be stored away between weddings, thus freeing up the space for other purposes. Removable seat cushions are a useful way to give guests comfort while being easily stored away. So the choice of furniture will be a trade-off between style and functionality, between aesthetics and practicality. White is a popular colour for weddings: room full of white furniture and white table linen, with subtle flowers, can serve as a backdrop against which the bride and groom and their guests can shine on their special day.