Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
If you were to consider the average aesthetic of a lifestyle Instagram account – perfect, clean interiors; a sea of white and beige – the retro decor of the nation’s bowling clubs is its polar opposite.
But, with the bowlo enjoying newfound popularity among Millennials, an account dedicated to celebrating the clubs’ gorgeous, if not garish, interiors has gained a loyal following.
James Stewart-Hunter is cataloguing the bold designs of bowling club carpets on his Instagram page Bowlo Carpet Appreciation, from carpets sitting sticky around bars to those, confusingly, laid in bathrooms.
James-Stewart Hunter at his local, Harbord Bowlo, on Sydney’s northern beaches.Credit: Edwina Pickles
The 35-year-old started the page in January 2021 as an expression of significant ill will towards the humble bowlo, which had become an unwanted fixture of his weekends.
“I was at that age where all my mates wanted to do was go to a bowling club with their kids. And I was like: this is so boring. I want to go to the pub and meet people,” he said.
But while the Instagram account’s first post – of Stewart-Hunter’s own local, Harbord Bowling Club in Curl Curl – was designed to ridicule its carpet, submissions from across Sydney, Australia and now the world have turned the Instagram account into a celebratory space.
The carpets at (from left) Sydney’s Leichhardt Bowling Club, Maroubra Junction Hotel and the Mount Lawley Bowlo in Perth.Credit: Bowlo Carpet Appreciation
“Now I love them. I can’t avoid them any more,” Stewart-Hunter said.
Over the past two years, the account has featured about 200 carpets, ranging from the magenta-on-brown mid-century stylings at Kingscliff, in the Tweed region, to the timeless regal pattern at Mount Lawley in Perth.
Patrons of the women’s toilets at a club on Queensland’s North Stradbroke Island can enjoy a colourful carpet while washing their hands.
Stewart-Hunter also accepts occasional photographs of pubs and other clubhouses, depending on their quality.
The (from left) Kingscliff Bowlo, a North Stradbroke Island bowlo and Teralba Bowlo. Credit: Bowlo Carpet Appreciation
His favourite submissions are from further afield: he recently received a picture of a British bingo club with a technicolour carpet and is holding out for a South African carpet (“apparently they’ve got a lot of bowling clubs there”).
The bowling club has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, shaking its daggy vibe to become the venue of choice for some younger patrons.
In Sydney’s inner west, Petersham Bowlo ditched its poker machines in 2006 and celebrated its 125th birthday last year with a loyal fan base of locals. Nearby, Ashfield’s Pratten Park Bowling Club and Marrickville Bowlo are also attracting a Millennial clientele with revamped kitchens and live music.
In Victoria, the Little Picket restaurant at Lorne Bowls Club opened to rave reviews from foodies last year.
Stewart-Hunter said his page had benefited from younger people seeing the charm in their local, daggy bowling club. Last year a selection of the carpets from the Bowlo Carpet Appreciation page were printed on skateboards by Sydney skate label, Pass∼Port.
When he is not sifting through submissions of garish floor coverings in his DMs, Stewart-Hunter works as an operations manager for a demolition company. He receives three or four carpets for his consideration each week and posts roughly half of his in-tray.
“It tends to ramp up on weekends,” he said, noting he “has a backlog” but needs to prioritise carpets that really stand out.
“I try to keep the captions funny, but there’s only so much you can do with a carpet.”
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
Most Viewed in National
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article
