Nov 04 : ArtScape™ is chosen by producers of TV’s Hollyoakes

The producers of Hollyoakes, Channel 4’s nightly soap for teenagers, did not have to look far when they wanted a unique design for the pool table that features regularly on the show. Mersey Television turned to Liverpool-based Thurston, the oldest snooker table manufacturer in the world, for the latest in pool table cloth images – choosing ‘metal’ from the ArtScape range.

ArtScape is the design concept introduced earlier this year by Milliken®. The company uses high-resolution printing to produce stylish images onto pool table cloth, offering interior designers, club owners and table operators imagery of their choice. Broadcast at 6.30 nightly between Friends and the Channel 4 News, Hollyoakes is a fictional town in Cheshire and the pool table forms part of its university union set.

Thurston sales manager Dave Morrow thinks that private households hold the key to ArtScape success. “We are selling a lot of pool tables into the private market and these customers tend to look for something a bit different.

“They often have bespoke tables made just for them. The choice offered by ArtScape appeals to people who see their pool table as a piece of furniture, or set designers who need to co-ordinate TV images with other props.”

Since its launch, sales of ArtScape are building in the UK, Ireland, Australia and the Far East following trials in the UK that confirmed people enjoy playing on customised cloths.

And in clubs, pool tables fitted with ArtScape designs created a focal point and generated more income for club owners. Milliken says its images will last the life of the cloth and will not affect the quality of play.