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RETRO BOWLING ALLEY FURNITURE WITH STYLE IN MIND

Here we introduce some key concepts in bowling alley interiors to help you choose your furniture wisely, focusing on retro as a key style. Hill Cross Furniture have recently supplied furniture for Lane 7, Newcastle’s boutique bowling alley and All Star Lanes, Manchester.

All about the bowling?

When thinking about the furnishing needs of your bowling alley its best to start with the needs of your customers, what sort of audience is your bowling alley targeted at? Families? Twenty-something’s ? What will their focus be for the evening? Bonding? Socialising? Are they likely to be dining as well as bowling? Will you need a large area for parties? What could your venue do to enrich the experience for your customers and be different? Think about the different areas where furniture and seating is required.; dining, reception, lounge and the playing area are core areas but also what about the shoe changing area? Why not also utilise corridor spaces and small corner areas for people to have some private space away from the entertainment?

Traditionally bowling alleys are firm family favourites. Bowling is a great activity for people to bond and have fun so are popular for children’s birthday parties and family days out. Choosing furniture options which are suitable for any ages are a great choice for family venues. Benches, plain banquette seating or firm plastic seating paired with robust tables are all great choices if you are looking for versatile seating which is robust enough to withstand heavy use.

‘Boutique’ bowling venues such as All Star Lanes, Lava Lanes and Lane 7 have become hugely popular night spots over the last few years. Offering a night out with difference where the focus is on good old fashioned entertainment accompanied by good food and drinks and plenty of entertainment. Selecting furniture which has custom finishes and bespoke options such as deep buttoned booth seating and softer seating with hand-picked bold fabrics can really set a boutique bowling alley apart from its family-focused counterparts by choosing furniture which would look at home in a luxury restaurant or hotel.

Undeniably ‘Retro’ is hugely popular theme for all bowling alleys whether they be family or boutique, why not browse our selected range of retro furniture for inspiration?

Now-a-days retro is a word which can be over used especially in fashion and design. Anything pre-2010’s can be dubbed ‘retro’! However, in instances of talking about contract furniture often ‘retro’ is a term which connotes the american-1950’s look. So what is it that creates that look? At first glance rounded corners with rimmed edging and bright colours jump out as the key elements in a retro inspired design, signage and Hollywood imagery also top the ‘obvious’ list. However without any modern twists or innovative choices your venue could end up looking cheap and quickly lose its charm as well as your customers.

Industrial and raw elements such as brass edging on tables and reclaimed timber for table tops work perfectly paired with bright and deeply upholstered seating to add a touch of modern sophistication. Choosing clean chrome tubular legs for tables and chairs can seem an obvious choice, but swapping these for natural beech wooden legs or distressed inox (stainless steel) can take the any threat of the products looking cheap or contrived away.

Booths and banquette seating may seem like a luxury choice for your venue but often this bespoke option can be cost effective and space saving. Plush to the wall a full banquette, with solid craftsmanship and deep upholstered finish with contract fabric can provide ample seating for a range of customers which is easy to clean and will continue to look great for years to come. Booth’s can act as focal points to any bowling alley also, Lane 7 for instance chose a vibrant teal green for their deep upholstered booths which acts as a stunning talking point for the venue – both literally and figuratively!

Browse our banquette seating gallery today or browse or range of retro furniture to help you get started. Or if you know what you want, why not contact us today to discuss? Hill Cross are the UK’s No.1 contract furniture suppliers for bespoke projects.

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