Top 5 tips when renovating clubs and pubs
Got a renovation project coming up? Based on our decades of experience helping to renovate pubs and clubs,following are our top 5 tips:
1. Base your budget on quality
Quality products will wear better and maintain their aesthetic for longer, ultimately saving you in the long-run. A good renovation should last a club at least 10-15 years. A higher expenditure initially, when amortised over a 15 year period will always be more affordable than using cheaper products that will need to be replaced in 5 years or less.
2. Flooring should be a priority
The largest space in any property is the floor so making it stand out counts. Nice décor and furniture will never cover up or make up for tired, worn-out flooring.
3. Utilise full-service design experts
Having to manage a range of suppliers can be tiresome and sometimes frustrating, so seek companies that can design and manage the entire renovation process. This will ensure a cohesive look and feel for the property and ensure responsibility sits with one contact you can work closely with.
4. Don’t be afraid to get creative
Playing it safe doesn’t always win, especially when it comes to a dining experience. The atmosphere is highly regarded by customers in selecting where to frequent. The right balance of comfort, style, functionality, and design can go a long way in increased patronage and spend within a venue.
5. Recommendations are gold
Many people will claim to be renovation and hospitality experts so don’t forget to utilise your networks and ask around about good designers and products. See a club you like, reach out to the manager about who designed the space.
Weaving stories into carpet design
It’s not often you get to tell the story of an entire sporting community through design, but that was exactly the commission we received when we signed up to supply custom-designed carpets for the renovation and reinvigoration of Souths Sports Club in Brisbane’s Acacia Ridge.
The carpets we designed for Souths tells the story of the rugby league club’s 100-year old history as well as the landscape it which the club house nestles and the community it serves.
The design for the carpets featured in the main lobby, bistro and gaming room was hand drawn by a professional interior designer and drew inspiration from the native Acacia trees that pepper Brandon Park in which the club house sits. The intention was to bring the outside in and the design achieves that in spades. The earthy tones of the carpet design also beautifully complement the Aboriginal art that now graces the walls, a nod to the area’s traditional owners.
In the sports bar, the club’s well-known mascot, the mighty magpie, has clearly inspired the design of the striking monochrome carpet and lets any newcomer know exactly where this club’s sporting allegiance lies!
Using a local Brisbane custom carpet supplier like Artistic Flooring was entirely intentional and part of the club’s policy of supporting their local community.
“Sustainability of community and local employment is very important to us as a club,” said Scott Steele, Group General Manager Clubs, “Local tradesmen who are also members of our club were part of the redevelopment team and many local Brisbane businesses manufactured and supplied items such as joinery, furniture, carpets and drapery.”
“Even the new Acacia trees planted in the building’s surrounds were supplied by a local nursery.”
Mr Steele said that all materials and products used in the renovation were carefully selected based on high standards so they would stand the test of time in a high volume hospitality environment.
“The carpet is a thick and luxurious Axminster that is very soft under foot. It’s high quality and was selected for its comfort and longevity,” Mr Steele said, “Some of the original décor elements were retained, such as the feature ceilings in the bar and gaming room, to pay homage to the history of the club.”
Club management was passionate that the renovation would result in a more family-friendly atmosphere and so offices were relocated and the bottle shop footprint was reduced (while maintaining stock levels) to create two new kids rooms located directly off the café/bistro area.
“We’re thrilled with the renovation and the new look of the club,” Mr Steele said, “It’s reinvigorated a tired old building and delighted our loyal club members as well as attract a few new ones!”
Make an impression from the moment your patrons step in the door.
The hospitality clubs sector in Australia is extremely competitive. Walking around the Hospitality and Gaming Expo in Brisbane earlier this month, brought home to us just how competitive it really is. Clubs need an edge, a distinct point of difference, to stand a chance of carving for themselves a piece of the increasingly discerning patron pie.
This is where Artistic Flooring can help.
Artistic Flooring makes custom designed carpets. Think of it as a work of art gracing the biggest canvas in your club, your floors. We can take any design – a painting, a logo, a motif – and faithfully recreate it in luxurious wall-to-wall Axminster carpet.
We’re the Pro Hart of the carpet world. And we can guarantee that your carpet will be the only one of it’s kind anywhere in the world.
Not just a pretty face
It’s not just about beauty – hospitality carpets also need to withstand daily punishment from foot traffic, spilt food and drinks and moving furniture. Year after year. This is why we offer a 20 year warranty on all our Axminster carpets when paired with our quality underlay.
We’ve been doing this kind of work for almost 40 years and we understand the highly specialised needs of the hospitality and gaming industry.
With Artistic Flooring you don’t just get beautiful carpets, you also get peace of mind.
We’re quick on our feet
Commissioning custom designed carpet doesn’t have to be a difficult or lengthy process, not when you’re dealing with people who’ve been doing it as long as we have. We can turn around a custom design project in as little as 8 weeks – from design sign-off to delivery of the finished product.
And if you’re stuck at a creative road block, our experienced designers will work with you to create a unique design that makes a statement.
Don’t just take our word for it…
“I was impressed by Artistic Flooring’s professional service and ability in dealing with our tight deadlines…We have received nothing but positive feedback on the design plus the feel of the carpet and since the upgrade we have seen a significant increase in patronage and sales.” Wayne Percey, General Manager of Gallopers Sports Club
“Our experience working with Artistic Flooring has been flawless. It was a long, involved process, however they were very patient and the outcome was outstanding. The end result was exactly what we had envisaged from the start of the design process.” Callum Kennedy, General Manager of Rydges South Bank, Brisbane
“Artistic Flooring were excellent to work with, and the finished result impressed us all. Most importantly, it impressed the client.” Ken Milne, Ken Milne Architects, Waterloo Station Hotel, Adelaide
Our satisfied customers include:
- Rydges South Bank (Brisbane) (winner of Best Redeveloped Accommodation Hotel/Resort QHA Awards 2016)
- Brisbane Racing Club (refurbishments of Doomben and Eagle Farm hospitality facilities)
- Allawah Hotel (Sydney)
- Baywater Quality Motel/Hotel (Perth)
- Indooroopilly Golf Club (Brisbane) – current project
- Wynnum Tavern (Brisbane)
- Galloper’s Sports Club (Brisbane)
- Waterloo Station Hotel (Adelaide)
- Warner Tavern (Brisbane)
Fresh new look for Gallopers Sports Club
A contemporary lift was what Gallopers Sports Club needed when it underwent a major refurbishment in April last year, and a contemporary lift was what Artistic Flooring delivered.
The old, worn, striped carpet was at the top of Management’s list of things in need of updating and our team was brought in to design and deliver a fresh and modern flooring scheme to replace it.
Lead designer on the project, Stacey Stojcevski, said she worked closely with the client to create a one-of-a-kind carpet design that was welcoming, full of warmth as well as adaptable.
“One of the challenges we faced with the design was the broad market segment the club attracts,” Stacey said, “It enjoys regular patronage from the older demographic, however being situated between Eagle Farm and Doomben race tracks it also draws in a lot of the younger, fashionable crowd.”
The brief also called for flooring design that would work across the Club’s three main public spaces; the bar, the gaming area and the bistro.
The design that ticked all the boxes and won over the client was a bold lotus-inspired pattern, created by Stacey, featuring a striking red flower motif with accents of gold in the vine work.
“It’s been deliberately designed to really catch your eye when you first walk in, and to complement other interior design elements such as the original tiling,” Stacey said, “The pop of red against a dark mahogany background has a modern-retro feel which appeals to younger as well as older generations.
General Manager of Gallopers Sports Club, Wayne Percey, said he couldn’t be more pleased with the end result.
“I was impressed by Artistic Flooring’s professional service and ability in dealing with our tight deadlines,” Mr Percey said, “We have received nothing but positive feedback on the design plus the feel of the carpet and since the upgrade we have seen a significant increase in patronage and sales.”
Our Managing Director, David Williams believes Artistic Flooring’s signature Axminster carpet makes the difference.
Indooroopilly Golf Club gets a makeover
Constructed in the 1980s, the Indooroopilly Golf Club’s main clubhouse and function centre in Brisbane’s leafy western suburbs was long overdue for a makeover and the decision was made to bring in a team of Brisbane’s best interior designers to project-manage the job. Carpet specialists from Artistic Flooring were part of that team.
As part of the refurbishment Artistic Flooring delivered new carpeting for three seminar rooms, two large function spaces as well as the club’s upper and lower foyers.
“It’s exactly what we were hoping for and we’re getting some really great feedback,” is how Stephanie Carmichael from Indooroopilly Golf Club replied when asked what she thought of Artistic Flooring’s work.
“We wanted our new interior design in the function areas to make a bold statement and Artistic Flooring certainly delivered that in spades, with an eye-catching green tropical landscape underfoot” Stephanie said of the design.
When it came to the entrance foyers, the club was looking to set a different tone to the function areas – something more relaxed and understated, while still exuding confidence and a sense of arrival.
“We went through a few design ideas for the foyers but in the end Artistic Flooring offered to create a whole new custom carpet design, just for us,” Stephanie said, “And we couldn’t be happier with the result.”
The end product was a more subtle design; a softer fern-like motif that retains the green colour-scape of the function areas as well as the botanical theme.
Stephanie said working with Artistic Flooring made the process of creating a custom designed flooring scheme that much easier.
“They were fantastic to work with,” Stephanie said, “They dealt with all queries and concerns promptly and they were always happy to take our calls and answer any questions.
Managing Director of Artistic Flooring, David Williams said his team jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the re-visioning of one of Brisbane’s most iconic golf clubs.
“Clubs are our true area of speciality and it’s what we love to do the most,” David said, “Working on such a high profile club in it’s beautiful landscaped location was a real treat for us. The club is known as one of the best wedding venues in Brisbane and it’s nice to think that our carpets will be a part of so many happy celebrations for many years to come.”
Preserving the past at Brisbane Racing Club
When we were asked to design and supply custom carpeting for Brisbane Racing Club’s 3-year-long refurbishment, our team jumped at the opportunity.
Facilities at the club’s two main racetracks, Eagle Farm and Doomben, were long in need of a makeover and we relished the opportunity to give the club the five star design treatment.
In the words of David Williams, Managing Director of Artistic Flooring: “The Brisbane Racing Club is one of the largest and most prestigious clubs of its kind in the country and we wanted to make sure they looked the part.”
Artistic Flooring were commissioned to supply custom-designed Axminster carpets for over a dozen public and private rooms at the twin racecourses including the prestigious Moreton Dining Room, the Derby Bar, corporate suites at Doomben, the Kentucky Bar, Hall of Fame and Doomben’s Champion Bar.
Stacey Stojcevski was the lead designer and manager of the project, and personally designed many of the carpets that made it on to the floor.
“The client felt very strongly that they could only use Axminister carpet,” Stacey said, “Their venues experience a huge volume of foot traffic every weekend so their carpets must be very hard-wearing. Only quality Axminster can give you this high durability while still feeling luxurious.”
Stacey said the client was passionate about the refurbishment and wanted carpets that had that heaviness; that feeling of richness and quality, underfoot.
“They insisted on Axminster and they’re now very glad that they did,” Stacey said, “They were blown away by how sharply defined and vibrant the patterns were on the carpet. You can only get that with quality Axminster.”
While the Brisbane Racing Club itself is relatively young, just 8 years old, it was born from the merger of two far older clubs, the Queensland Turf Club (established in the 1860s) and the Brisbane Turf Club (established in the 1930s). The proud history of these two predecessors would greatly inform design direction of the refurbishment.
“Our brief was to keep it classic,” Stacey said, “They’ve been racing at Eagle Farm since 1865, and the course is heritage-listed, so we understood completely their desire to pay homage to the history of place.”
When they pulled up the joinery on the floor of the Derby Bar, workers made a fascinating discovery. The original carpet was still underneath. And thanks to protection afforded by the joinery the carpet still retained its original vibrant colours.
“We were all quite amazed by this – it was like a secret time capsule had been lying under the floor all these years and nobody knew,” Stacey said, “It presented us with an exceptionally rare opportunity to recreate the past.”
A sample of the old carpet under the floorboards was sent to Artistic Flooring with a query as to whether a replica could be made. The answer was a resounding yes.
“Our team studied the colours and patterns of the old carpet and were able to recreate it faithfully using new materials,” David said, “It is beautiful work that is quite special because it has a lot of meaning for the club.”
Respect for heritage would also play a part in many of the other rooms, as illustrated by an opulent and very arresting carpet created for the historical Ascot Bar.
“Drinks are still served from behind the original bar, which is a very striking black and gold,” Stacey said, “We enhanced that original design feature with a carpet pattern of equally striking black and gold. The effect is quite stunning.”
Artistic Flooring’s good relationship with Brisbane Racing Club continues with work recently completed on the Virginia room and other public areas.
For more information on any of the articles or products in this newsletter or to find out how we can help your next project stand out contact david@artisticflooring.com.au
