Top Tips for Pub Lighting

Top tips on pub lighting

When it comes to pub lighting, it’s all about creating the right ambiance. Get the lighting right and you can turn even the most unpromising area into a place where anyone who’s anyone wants to hang out.

Every pub is different. You may run a traditional establishment, a stylish gastro pub or an ultra-cool bar but successful pubs and bars all have one thing in common - atmosphere.

Think about the look you want to achieve and then set the scene with a lighting style that matches. You want lighting that’s both stylish and welcoming, neither too dark nor too light. It needs to please the regulars and fit in with the crowd you want to attract. So how do you get it just right?

Here are a few tips.

Creating an atmosphere

Ironically, the best pub lighting is the kind that your customer won’t even notice. They’ll only be aware of your lighting if you get it wrong – if you’ve blinded them with an overenthusiastic accumulation of brightness, or they’ve tripped over a barstool in the gloom. Unfortunately, they’re unlikely to come back and tell you.

The most effective pub lighting is created through a combination of different light fittings. This is usually a mixture of wall lights, ceiling lights and pendant lights.

The bar area

The main bar area is the most crucial for good lighting, and it’s where you’ll need the most light. After all, it’s the star attraction – the place where you make your money. Ideally, the bar should include a combination of downlights and spotlights.

For the area immediately above the bar, recessed downlights work brilliantly. Moving behind the bar, adjustable spotlights can be directed onto your collection of ales, spirits and wines.

If you have enough space, think about combining recessed lighting with a sequence of pendant lights set above the bar.

Seating areas

Away from the bar is where your punters will want to get intimate and cosy, so you’ll want to create a softer ambient light. Go for a combination of wall lights and ceiling lights, with a scattering of candles on the tables for ambiance and intimacy.

Wall lights are ideal for providing warm, indirect lighting over seating. Again, you’ll want to go for something that matches the look of your individual pub or bar. If you’re after a classic but neutral feel, choose something like the TAL Dart.

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Or for a traditional wall light with a classic look, try the Elstead Aegean.

Ceiling lights will combine functional lighting with atmospheric ambiance. For the seating areas, it’s a good idea to choose something that’s dimmable so you can set the mood according to the time of day.

Stairs and steps will always need to be well lit. For obvious reasons, you want your customers falling over themselves to come back, not falling down the stairs. Recessed downlights will a great job at lighting stairways.

Chandeliers can create a great focal point for the bar foyer or dance floor. This one’s the Searchlight Waterfall.

Outside the pub

First impressions count - particularly for pubs, where you want to light up the signage and food boards to welcome in passing punters. Well-chosen outdoor lighting is a guaranteed way to say “come on in”.

Wall lanterns do a great job at lighting up the front of pubs, and they come in a whole variety of different finishes and styles. This one, the Elstead Philadelphia, is a classic.

In the beer garden, outdoor wall lights are great for setting the right mood. As for the indoor lighting, the most attractive pub gardens use a combination of fittings. Up-lighters, down-lighters, spotlights, lamp posts and bollard lights can all work brilliantly.

In a beer garden, low-level wall lighting can create an intimate atmosphere – with the added advantage that it won’t dazzle your customers while they’re relaxing with a drink after a hard day. Go for something with a warm downward-facing glow, like the Intalite Brick. INTALITE 229062 Brick Downunder Outdoor Wall Light

LED lights are generally a great idea for outdoor lighting. It’s often on for long periods of time, but because LED is so power-efficient, an LED light won’t cost you a fortune in electricity. This one’s the Knightsbridge outdoor LED wall light.

For more information about pub lighting, and to browse the entire collection in different styles and fittings at Arrow Electrical, visit our website at www.arrowelectricals.co.uk