When selecting the best flooring for your bar, there are a few things you need to consider – from footfall and high traffic areas to the impact that the flooring has on the design and aesthetic appearance of your bar.
Bars typically benefit from an intimate ambience, which is achieved with varying light sources, compact tables, and the focal presence of the bar as the central point within the space. When it comes to choosing the right constructive materials to bring your bar to life, you need to determine the kind of mood you want to create, identify your core visitors, and decide on the kind of experience you want to provide. Carpet lends itself to a super cosy and luxurious kind of space, while a hardwood floor is timeless and charming, and tile is incredible functional and contemporary in design.
The role of durability in selecting the best flooring type for your bar
First to the durability of your ideal flooring type, not just regarding its lifespan and how strong it is, but in the way it withstands a high footfall, areas of high traffic, and the need for daily cleaning and maintenance services.
For a commercial bar space, you want a floor which is easy to clean, which lends itself to a quick wipe when drinks are spilled, and which offers a consistent and accessible surface to move around on. What’s more, the chances are that certain routes across your commercial bar will be well trodden – for example, the flooring which surrounds the bar itself, and the walkway from the bar area to the bathrooms and to the main entrance / exit. A durable flooring type is needed to ensure that these pathways do not change in texture or appearance – withstanding the high footfall without impacting the quality of the flooring finish.
This immediately pushes carpet out of the window – and for good reason. Despite being a highly luxurious flooring type, which is great for 5* hotel bedrooms and other areas of extreme comfort, it is not the most suitable nor the most accessible flooring solution for commercial spaces.
The most durable flooring options for a bar
The most popular flooring types for bars include laminate and vinyl flooring, as well as hardwood floor – though the latter needs to be well maintained and treated with protecting layers to ensure it doesn’t become worn or stained under high traffic and duress.
Vinyl is made from PVC and is generally available in a tile format which makes it easy to install and super easy to replace should you need to relay a few tiles in well-trodden areas. As well as being waterproof and slip-resistant, vinyl is sanitary and very easy to clean – and is available in a multitude of aesthetic finishes which means you can choose your ideal look with few limitations.
Laminate embodies many of the same benefits as vinyl but is even more versatile in terms of how it looks and feels when laid in place – with different textures able to be achieved with ease using laminate. What this means is that you can embody the look and feel of wood or another flooring type, without the same level of maintenance required, and all for a more affordable cost.
The role of aesthetics – how to achieve your ideal look
If you’re still mourning the loss of carpet from earlier in this blog post, then this is your opportunity to bring back a little bit of luxury – bridging the aesthetic value of soft textures with the incredibly homely feel it provides.
Adding rugs to your bar interior can inject a warm and homely vibe, which is particularly popular with bar owners who want to create a compact and more intimate setting.
From an aesthetic perspective, it’s also important to consider colour and how dark or light your flooring is – and whether it makes the bar feel open and airier, or darker. Again, this will depend and differ based on the kind of vibe you want to create, with light floor suiting more of a daytime bar and modern space, while dark floors compliment a romantic setting.
Finally, it’s important to consider how your chosen flooring impacts the experience you want to deliver to guests. From the authentic flagstones of a traditional pub to the wood flooring of a rustic Italian restaurant, to the sleek and glossy varnish of a high end bar, the right flooring contributes to the sensory experience of guests and underpins the entire vibe you want to create.
For more advice on how to bring your bar to life with interior design, reach out to Carroll Design for professional guidance.