Leeds United supporters, Premier Mist had a box at Elland Road for many years. Following Leeds United’s successful promotion to the Premier League, Premier Mist wanted to refurbish their box so that it was a luxury experience for their clients in time for the new football season. The box had last been refurbished in the 1990s: neutral in finish, with a traditional hospitality box set-up of a central dining table and chairs. Premier Mist wanted to give the box more of a luxury hotel/bar feel. They were happy to lose a couple of seats to improve user comfort and ideally wanted to offer their guests a choice of seating arrangements. When reviewing other recently completed boxes, they were open to a traditional table and booth arrangement.

Ben Johnson Interiors approached local designers, This Is Interiors, to collaborate on the project. With their vast hospitality experience, we knew they would be the right partner for the project. Time was a critical factor, as we had a short window to design and fit out the box before the season commenced after the summer break. This had to be factored into the design process when considering products and materials, as it was critical all were available to meet the tight programme.
Our team got to work developing feasibility plans. The box had incredible views of the halfway line, and it was important to have a clear access route to the stand. As the box is ultimately a hospitality experience, it was critical to ensure easy access for the catering staff to serve all guests. The chosen design offered a traditional dining table arrangement with a media wall, and also a more informal booth dining option. Ensuring a comfortable dining height and appropriate space for dining was a key consideration, with a lot of care given to ensure diners were not sat on table legs or junctions in tops. Samples of the chairs were arranged to check weight and user comfort. Senator Office Furniture were the perfect partner to ensure we hit the mark in terms of functionality and comfort.
Feature joinery was utilised throughout the scheme, with built-in plant and display units around the luxury leather booth seating to create a cosy, homely vibe. The traditional dining area included a media wall to house the Leeds United TV, with feature lighting in the alcoves to finish the homely aesthetic. The walls were also decorated with a feature dado rail, with wallpaper below and decoration above, to maintain that homely, hotel vibe. Dark finishes are currently a very popular trend within the hospitality industry, as they help create a comfortable, chilled experience. The traditional white suspended ceilings and LED lights were stripped out and replaced with a new black suspended ceiling with integrated spotlights. Dark finishes were used throughout, with a theme of dark blue and gold as a nod to the Leeds United blue and yellow colours.

The Finished Project

When creating a luxury experience, it’s all about the little touches. Within the Premier Mist box, it is all about the finishes. A laminate oak multi-directional floor was used to subtly identify the different seating zones and warm the space. Tektura feature wallpaper was applied on the media wall and behind the booth seating to give a luxury hotel feel. The traditional white radiators were replaced with gold radiators to keep clients warm during the colder winter season. Feature picture rails were installed above the dado rail to showcase the client’s Leeds United memorabilia, and finally a shopping trip was undertaken with the client to buy items to dress the joinery display. A beautiful, luxury hospitality box that we hope will give Premier Mist and Leeds United lots of luck in the seasons to come. ‘We are Leeds, we are proud’ MOT