Space - A New Way Of Life

How Hospitality and Leisure Spaces Are Being Redesigned for the Future

The Hospitality & Leisure industry has always been fast-moving, defined by rapid trends, seasonal change, and the constant need to maximise usable space. But the events of recent years — particularly the global shifts triggered by COVID-19 — have forced an unprecedented re-evaluation of how people interact with the built environment.

For months, society was required to live, work, and socialise in tiny, often improvised spaces. At the same time, the digital age accelerated dramatically. This unusual combination reshaped customer expectations and highlighted one universal truth:

We value SPACE more than ever.

As restrictions lifted and life gradually returned to normality, new research began examining how towns, cities, and hospitality venues should adapt. The conclusion is now clear:
The spatial landscape of the Hospitality & Leisure sector is changing permanently — and businesses must evolve with it.

From Crisis to Opportunity: Rethinking the Use of Space

The post-pandemic era has introduced a three-stage planning mindset for operators, developers, architects, and designers:

1. Short-Term: “Transitional Normality”

Businesses need practical, fast-to-implement solutions that allow them to operate today. Furniture layouts, flow management, and customer zoning must support comfort and safety without feeling restrictive.

2. Medium-Term: Adaptation and Flexibility

As customer behaviour continues to shift, hospitality spaces must remain adaptable. This requires modular furniture, reconfigurable layouts, and design elements that can evolve without costly refurbishments.

3. Long-Term: Designing the Hospitality Spaces of the Future

We are entering a period where spatial design is being reconsidered from the ground up. From outdoor dining to multi-purpose interiors, the hospitality and leisure environment will be shaped by a newfound appreciation for personal space, wellbeing, and fluid social experiences.

The Challenge: Safety Without Sacrificing Experience

One insight has remained consistent across surveys, industry studies, and customer feedback:

People reject spaces that feel clinical, enclosed, or “boxed in.”

Having spent extended periods in isolation, the last thing customers want is to return to hospitality venues that resemble “a fishbowl of perspex.” Safety matters — but so does atmosphere.

This creates a design challenge:

How do you encourage comfortable distancing and customer flow without compromising the warmth, character, and social energy that define hospitality?

The answer lies in subtlety, creativity, and the intelligent use of space-defining elements.

Our Approach: Creative, Flexible, Human-Centred Space Solutions

At Contract Furniture Store, we’ve developed a collaborative strategy to support hospitality operators throughout this transition. Our aim is simple:

To offer flexible, affordable, design-led solutions that enhance space — not limit it.

Our curated range of Space Dividers Solutions and Planters for defining social zones has become a key part of this approach. These elements allow businesses to:

• Encourage natural social spacing without installing harsh or intrusive barriers
• Guide the flow of people through indoor and outdoor environments
• Create zones and micro-environments that improve comfort and dwell time
• Introduce greenery and biophilic design, enhancing ambience and wellbeing
• Provide architects and designers with modular tools to shape future-proof spaces

Unlike solid screens or temporary plastic partitions, these solutions integrate seamlessly into interior schemes and enhance the customer experience rather than detracting from it.

Designing Tomorrow’s Hospitality Spaces — Today

The hospitality and leisure sector stands at the beginning of a new design era. Customers no longer want places to eat, drink, or relax — they want environments that feel open, comfortable, and thoughtfully considered.

By using intelligent spatial planning, modular dividers, greenery, and adaptable layouts, businesses can:

• maximise capacity
• improve customer confidence
• refresh the look and feel of their venue
• prepare for long-term operational changes
• create memorable, high-quality experiences that encourage repeat visits

At a time when every square metre counts, space isn’t just a practical concern — it has become a core part of the hospitality experience.

Final Thoughts

We are all navigating this challenge together. As our towns and cities evolve, the most successful hospitality venues will be those that embrace flexibility, creativity, and forward-thinking spatial design.

Space is no longer a constraint — it’s an opportunity.

And with the right tools, ideas, and design solutions, the industry can move confidently into its “new beginning.”