Black Rope Stanchions

Black posts with gold detailing, carrying a 5ft velvet rope. They do the same job as the gold set but recede into a room instead of leading it, which is why they are the usual answer in venues that already have a strong look — a theatre lobby, a gallery, a hotel with dark carpet.

Ropes come in red, white, black, pink or navy. Black post with a black rope is the most discreet combination we rent and the one to choose when the equipment should not appear in the photographs at all. Black with red is the opposite: high contrast, and it reads clearly from the other side of a room.

Where they earn their place

Reserved seating is the strongest use. A rope across two posts at the end of a row says "reserved" more clearly than a printed card and takes no explaining to anybody. The same applies to a section of a bar, a stage apron or a display nobody should walk behind.

They also hold a queue, but a queue is a job for belt posts unless the queue is short and being looked at. Rope does not retract, so a line that needs to double back needs more posts and a plan for where they stand.

Counting and placement

Five feet per span, one post per span, plus one to finish. Twelve posts and eleven ropes give you 55ft of continuous line, which is about as much rope as a single doorway event ever needs.

Set the posts before the room fills and leave a gap where staff will need to pass. The commonest mistake with rope is building a perfect line and then having to unclip it every three minutes because catering has nowhere to go.