The pub industry is very different today to when I first worked for Peach 14 years ago. Lots of pubs have closed while others have thrived in what has been, and continues to be, a tricky 
economic climate. With seemingly limitless competition, endless food offers and lots of the same in terms of décor and design, we are always striving to up our game, to seize opportunity and to excite our guests.
In the décor team, it’s our job to deliver somewhere our guests will love to spend time (and lots of it). We have some truly wonderful buildings which have a story to tell and here at Peach we have a story to tell too and there you have it – sensory stimulation, comfort and visual anecdotes – the starting point for our refurbs.
Next up on our list was Brookmans, fondly nick-named The Big B (it’s a big building).
In order to create a great space in a very big space, the key was lighting. We needed to have oodles of options! At Brookmans we went for a variety of grand chandeliers, sparkly pendants, understated wall lights and glass booth lights. It’s all about creating that magical atmosphere of little glowing pools of light and because we used a lot of darker colours on the walls, lots of lighting was essential to ensure the pub was still able to breath. Using lights in different ways also saved on hanging lots of artwork from the walls which, when your walls are over four metres high, is a saviour.
The chairs and booths throughout are upholstered with a sumptuous mixture of velvets, bold prints and soft leather. The tables are set-up ready and able to host buzzy coffee mornings in the sun, after-work drinks at the bar, cosy corner suppers or a large fun dinner party. There really is a space for everyone to enjoy in this pub.
In terms of colour, we came over all risky here and threw a gorgeous inky blue shade at the walls in the Bar and Eatery which completely reinvented the area. Above the paintwork, we put up a moody, indigo wallpaper with a metallic cloud effect to help the light dance off the walls and inject some glamour. The Garden Room got a sunny dose of plush yellow velvet booths against a sophisticated botanical backdrop – a locally hand-printed wallpaper which looks like it was made for that space. The Private Dining rooms were made over with brushed metallic tones for fun and flexibility – perfect for a party but also easily transformed into an interesting meeting space.
The ability of colour to transform surroundings is second to none. We wanted to colour Brookmans in so our guests never wanted to leave and we hope they never do…