The Hillary Step

The Hillary Step is somewhat of an institution in the popular village of Chorlton, just a 2.5 mile escape south from Manchester's city centre. It fell into the capeable hands of our client, Electrik Bars, co-owned by Justin Crawford and Luke (Una) Cowdrey formaly of the Unabombers. It was important that we handled it with care so as not to ailienate its valued longstanding customer base but also attract a new audience and ensure a sustainable future for The Hillary Step. It had become a confused offering, not quite a pub, nor a bar with a sea of bad furniture and fixtures and materials that told a confused story. The long space, is punctuated by dramatic natural light from a run of skylights and feature glass block window. Now almost completely enveloped in a rich blue with a high sheen to reflect the warm light from new fixtures and candles, it's a snug proper pub harking back to when pubs were the perfect alchemy of chatter and bustle where passionate regulars chatted to travelling strangers. We scoured reclamation yards to find the perfect pieces to weave through the scheme and that would sit with the new bespoke fixed seating elements and wall treatments.