9 minute read
FEATURE: LOUNGING ABOUT
Lounging about
A cosy lounge bar space can be a real attraction for a large number of club guests, but getting the furnishings right is key to pulling off an area that will make your patrons stay a little longer. Vanessa Cavasinni takes a seat at the table.
SOMETIMES A LOUNGE bar can be overlooked as a space within a club that doesn’t need that much attention. Especially when compared to areas like bistros, restaurants, gaming rooms, bars, and function rooms, simply because they’re not an overt revenue generator like those spaces.
But lounge bars are a vital component of a clubhouse for members and guests, and help extend their stay and spend, as well as providing a versatile space that can be used differently by various groups of people.
Benjamin McCall, club manager of Bargo Sports Club on the outskirts of NSW’s Southern Highlands, had this front of mind when he decided to create a new lounge bar space as part of a larger refurbishment in December 2021.
“We wanted to create some new areas and spaces within the clubhouse,” he says. “We wanted to give people options if they might feel a bit happier to sit in an area that wasn’t surrounded by TVs and having sports going on around the place; somewhere they can actually sit and have a conversation.”
Creating a mood
The new lounge bar at Bargo Sports Club, which is part of the CMNL group, is a dark and moody space and lends itself to night-time activation. A richly patterned carpet and moody floral wallpaper feature wall sourced from Donnelly Designs set the scene, alongside grey painted brick walls. Warm-toned timber furnishings with dark accents from Design Choice helped add warmth, as did spotlighting and lantern-style candles on the tables. Those tables are a mix of round tables for smaller groups, plus leather bench seating around larger rectangular tables that allow for any configuration of groups. The final component of the lounge bar is a new fireplace, surrounded by light timber panelling, which is already getting a workout.
“We’re just outside the Southern Highlands and we’ve got the cool climate down here where we can see cool weather all year round. So, it’s a nice space to sit there and have a meal or a drink later in the night and you’ve got the fireplace going,” says McCall.
-Ben McCall, club manager, Bargo Sports Club
The club manager says he distinctly chose darker, more intimate tones throughout the lounge bar to create a mood that invites a different kind of occasion to the club.
“Those furnishings definitely help generate the mood of the area itself.”
It’s already being utilised by many guests enjoying the club’s reputable cocktail list or sharing a bottle of wine in the space. McCall says his team has also been surprised by the different demographics that have frequented the lounge bar.
“There’s been so many people that you wouldn’t expect to be drawn to that part of the venue, which has been quite great to see as well,” he says. “For example, we’ve had more of your sports bar type of person in there, because they’ll come out for dinner with their wife and they feel much more comfortable sitting in that space. It’s really good to see.”
Apart from those looking for a quiet spot to enjoy a drink and a little conversation, the space can also be booked for small private functions, such as birthdays. Club members have responded well to the new space, and it’s been a huge boon for the club, extending visitor stay within the venue.
“It’s allowed us to have a space where people don’t have to be in the eyeline of sports TVs or your general club settings. It just gives them an alternate space to move towards and actually sit there until late night, which is great,” states McCall, who designed the space.
“It’s achieving wonders for us. It’s giving our club an extra add. It’s a different space that we’ve been trying to create, and I think it’s been achieved in that room.”
Comfort and use
At Armidale City Bowling Club in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, two adjacent lounge spaces have just had a furniture refresh. Club CEO Walter Sauer said the old furniture in the space was too heavy and cumbersome for older members who would frequently use the lounge space in front of the bar to have a meal, and an adjacent lounge next to the gaming room as somewhere to have a coffee and some refreshments. Bar stools were also an issue, as they had flared legs that proved to be a trip hazard.
“The furniture that was put in at the last refurb just wasn’t quite suitable. By that I mean, some of the armchairs were just too low for some of my older members to get in and out of. It was just too difficult. There were also a lot of coffee tables, which again makes it difficult if you want to eat or have snack in the lounge area. So, I thought I just need to cater to my people and to work with whatever else we’ve got going on in that space.”
The whole area needed a bit of a rethink to make it more user friendly. Sauer visited the Nufurn exhibit at AGE last year and got to work with the commercial furniture company’s business manager Kathy Sollars on finding a suitable and sleek solution for his two lounge areas.
-Walter Sauer, Armidale City Bowling Club
“I find that senior club members prefer to have a chair with arms to assist them in getting up,” advises Sollars. “As such we decided on the St Tropez Chair, a combination of dining/tub/arms/ modern chairs, which was just perfect for what the club was looking for.
“Another part of the brief was that the upholstery had to be easy to clean and hardwearing but still look inviting. We choose Wortley-Marlo vinyl which almost has a leather look about it. It’s easy to clean and has stunning colours which fit perfectly into Armidale’s décor.”
The two spaces now have new square tables and the chairs are made from an aluminium single-mould frame with a faux-timber look. There are different tabletops as well, with a marble effect on one while another features a timber slat effect. The stools also use the fauxtimber aluminium single-mould frame, with slats across the back and vinyl seating. Colour choices were also crucial to ensure differentiation between the adjacent lounges.
“Another important factor was that the club wanted to have two separate spaces, the lounge and in the front of the bar, so we choose to make this statement with vinyl colours. We went with a lighter colour for the lounge and a darker colour for the area in front of the bar. This way, we are keeping the whole area flowing and cohesive,” explains Sollars.
Sauer agreed, saying he wanted members and guests to be able to visually differentiate between the different spaces.
“It needs different zones and different looks and different areas. We’re creating small, cosy spaces.”
Members are very happy with the new furnishings, posting on social media about the new look and the ease of use of the new chairs.
“They tell us how good the new furniture is, and how easy it is to get in and out of and move around now, whereas before it was just too heavy, too cumbersome to do.”
The spaces are well frequented by older members, as well as mothers’ groups and their young children during the day. At night, entertainment is enjoyed in both lounge spaces, including trivia.
While a lounge space can be easy to overlook when compared to areas of your club with higher turnover, paying a little bit of attention to the interiors of your lounges can make a big difference to your club’s bottom dollar.
The latest furniture trends
Kathy Sollars from Nufurn shares two big trends she’s seeing in club furniture.
Sustainable materials
“Something that I am excited to see is the increased use of fabric that is made from recycled plastic bottles. One linear metre uses approximately 32 recycled plastic bottles, which is enough to cover one chair. Sixty bottles would cover a tub chair.
“Everest is the latest fabric from the Wortley Group and is produced entirely from 100% recycled polyester. One lineal metre of Everest contains a minimum of 32 post-consumer recycled 500ml PET-bottles and conforms to the Global Recycled Standard for the use of recycled materials in textiles. It’s perfect for the eco-conscious consumer.
“Also, our timber suppliers are finding that they have to turn to different types of timber as the classic Beech is becoming harder to source. With this in mind, Nufurn is continuing to increase our aluminium ‘wood’ look chairs. Re-creating timber products in aluminium is reducing the impact on our forests and we can offer a 12-year warranty and increased longevity of their furniture for our customers.”
Softer lines, brilliant colours
“Other trends that I bought back from the Milan 2022 furniture expo was softer lines and curved backrests. Timber products are moving away from traditional stain colours and increasingly using blue and wine colour stains, which makes for an interesting colour palette.”
