The natural aesthetics, durable performance and extensive colour palette of Forbo Flooring Systems’ Allura Wood luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) collection have all played a significant role in creating a contemporary, stand-out environment for Evoo, a new ‘barzzeria’ in Barnsley, Yorkshire.
‘Evoo –The Barzzeria’ is a pizzeria and bar, which combines authentic Italian cuisine with Britain’s popular cocktail culture, forming the world’s first ‘barzzeria’. Set in a once prominent building that was left derelict for years, Julie Poulter Interior Design (JPID) was tasked by restaurant owner, Jaz Boparai, to design ‘the best-looking bar’ in Barnsley. Subsequently, the project was awarded ‘Commended’ in the Fly Forbo competition 2018/2019.
Julie Poulter of JPID said: “Due to the concept of the barzzeria, the client wanted to set Evoo apart from other restaurants and bars in the area and this reflected heavily in the design. We needed to create a fresh and inviting environment, which comprised of zones, including a VIP area that could be adapted from lunchtime eating to evening drinking. With the help of bespoke wall art, fitted furniture and an impactful floor design, we were able to achieve this.
“I have used Forbo’s floor coverings for many projects over the years and I enjoy using them because of their environmental credentials. For Evoo, I knew that the Allura Wood LVT collection would be perfect, thanks to its unrivalled characteristics in terms of design, and sustainability – Allura is phthalate free, contains up to 50% controlled recycled content in its backing and is manufactured and designed in Europe using 100% renewable electricity. In addition, not only did the flooring need to be aesthetically pleasing, but we needed to be mindful of durability, due to the amount of footfall that the barzzeria would receive.”
A combination of Allura Wood LVT in various colourways: Oyster Seagrass, Seaweed Oak, Denim Oak, Royal Solid Oak and Seagrass Timber, were installed throughout the building in a herringbone pattern. The contrast of the light grey, dark blue and dark brown shades helped to create a dramatic ambience for the restaurant. Due to the large space and nature of the bar, the planks were arranged in this design to act as a subconscious wayfinding tool, to encourage customers to follow the path and move through the building.
Allura Wood LVT benefits from advanced production technology to ensure maximum dimensional stability and high scratch and stain resistance, so that the appearance of the floor remains as good as the day it was installed.
Julie continued: “As the design of the floor comprised lots of different colourways, I used Forbo’s free Bespoke Design Service to help transfer my ideas and bring my vision to life. The visual plan made it a lot easier for Jaz, the restaurant owner, to comprehend what I was envisioning, and it also made it a lot easier for the fitters when they installed the floor coverings. The service is brilliant, and I would always go back and use it again.”
Jaz Boparai, Owner of Evoo – The Barzzeria, commented: “This is the third project that JPID has done for me and being able to utilise Julie’s knowledge of design and interior furnishings is fantastic. When Julie showed me the visual plan of the Forbo flooring, I thought it was very impressive, but then when the flooring was installed and the plan was brought to life, the result was absolutely outstanding – I have never seen a floor like it.
“Although aesthetics is what you’re immediately drawn to with the Allura Wood design, I can’t fault the cleanability aspect of the LVT. Due to the nature of a bar, where drink spillages are common, a wooden or tile floor would not be ideal as these types of floors can get very slippery, even after it has been mopped. With the installation of the Allura LVT, thanks to its PUR Pearl finish, we can just give the floor a little wipe and it cleans up like new. The use of multiple colours really adds a lease of life to the building and the customers love it, as do we.”
For more information about Forbo’s work in the leisure and hospitality sector, please visit: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/leisure or to enter your project in this year’s Fly Forbo competition, visit: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/flyforbo. For more information on Forbo’s Bespoke Design Service, please visit www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/plandesignservice