Beyond the beats: Clubs turn to decor to beat competition

Music no longer matters in the bubbly club scene. While the catchy beats and deejays’s name-calling was the in-thing a few years back, times have changed and clubs have become more beautiful and well decorated with the flashiest getting more customers and good reviews.

Wallpapers adorn the walls leading to the lounges with flashy lights of different colours giving the places a better appearance. Inside, leather couches align the walls with beautiful metallic rails separating the VIP section from the rest of the club. The separation is done subtly but beautifully.

In some sports bars in Nairobi, television sets are available even in the washrooms, where one can continue watching a game while relieving oneself. Call it taking interior décor to extreme levels.

“Competition has led to owners thinking outside the box,” says flamboyant Amor Thige, the proprietor of leading Westlands joint, Skylux Lounge. “Drinks are sold everywhere even at the local joints and music is the same everywhere. But what is that thing which will make revellers come to Skylux and not go to another place? It is décor.”

According to Thige, the ambiance and beautiful settings are attractive to most customers who will feel comfortable when they believe they are getting more than the fun the came for.“Most people will want to feel comfortable in a well-lit place which has beautiful seats and a great ambiance. Most club owners have discovered that and that is why there is a race to pimp out these joints,” he said.

Kamau Munyoro, owner of Mist on Ronald Ngala Street and Mojos on Kimathi Street, explains that the décor is pushed by trends.

“Trends come and go and right now, interior décor is the in-thing. Most proprietors are spending top dollar getting their clubs fixed to get the market. We are all doing it for our loyal customers,” says Munyoro.

Ravi Patel of Tile & Carpet says most businesspeople like club proprietors are sensitive to trends.

“The essence is to look more modern and clubs have not been left out.

The whole industry is currently shifting to interior décor,” said Patel.

Mist was opened late last year with its blue neon lights and white interior décor inviting from outside. Brownish tiles line the polished floor and a lounge area sits at the wall directly opposite the bar area. A hanging ceiling with a red pattern spreads like a smoke along the white fixed ceiling.

Lights protrude at different points on the hanging ceiling. A balcony with several seats and a view of the busy Ronald Ngala streets is well decorated with hanging plants and more light.

Lights are important. In an age where the saying ‘Instagram that shit’ is the norm with most people owning smart phones, these joints have lighting that allows for picture clarity and splendid backgrounds for the customers to capture crazy moments while they have fun.

Neon lights

Multi-coloured neon, lasers, LED and stage lights that move in synchrony add to the whole phenomenon of lighting and reflection, with lighter colours used on the walls giving the joints a great décor.

“Decorating using gypsum board is the in-thing,” said John Amayo, an interior decorator at Cornices & Décor Kenya and an artist. “It looks like concrete when the truth is that it is a board and it comes in different colours. Most clubs currently have it on the ceilings.”

Amayo explained that wall effects are also popular, as they work well with lights, giving a place the ‘partying mood.’

In Merchants Sports Bar in Mlolongo, the targeted clientele are the hundreds of sports fans around Nairobi and those living on Mombasa Road. Football team jerseys and flags line up the walls of the joint with some football players, including Kenya’s Victor Wanyama celebrated with large three feet colourful posters.

“By setting this décor, we are basically segmenting the market to target mostly sports fans and the décor has to resonate with them,” said Maurice Aruwa, the owner. “The lighting system is important because it gives the club a great appearance both inside and outside.

Some of these interior decorations are imported but most are sourced locally.”

Shiny long metallic high tables and seats with leather cushions are well spread, leaving leg room for movement and dancing.

These decorations run into millions but the owners are looking at the bigger picture. Aruwa says he spent more than Sh4 million to put up the interior décor, which includes well-carved tables and modern television sets. He says that depending on the club, one can spend up to Sh10 million just on décor.

“The cost depends on the style one chooses. More elaborate décor will cost more but in this business, the cost one incurs does not match the experience your customers will get,” says Amor, who is about to do more decorative changes in Skylux, which was opened in 2010.

Interior decorators are also happy with the trend, as they are also raking in million doing the decorations.

“We are also benefiting from the trend. The more competitive it gets, the better for us,” said Amayo.