You want to start your residential wine cellar project but the only space that you have is the small closet under the stairway in your home. Can this space be used to build a beautiful and functional wine cellar? Can this be designed uniquely and keep a stable environment for your wine? The answer is yes.
Don’t think that you can’t have a climate-controlled room for your prized wine collection if you don’t have large room. Space, whether big or small can now be transformed into a functional residential wine cellar.
If you have an unused small closet at home, deciding to use it for a wine cellar conversion project can be exciting and fulfilling. Just make sure that you seek the help of a wine cellar specialist to avoid reconstruction in the future due to wrong choice of design, wine racks, wine cooling system, wine cellar lighting or flooring.
Wrong insulation and vapor barrier installation will also result in wine storage problems that can ruin your investment. All the elements of your wine cellar must be carefully planned, designed, and installed by a professional.
In many parts of the world, including California, closet wine cellars are common to people who are new to wine collecting and desire to have a refrigerated wine cellar without having to spend too much. In Coto de Caza Orange County, California, a home wine cellar was completed by a reliable wine cellar company—Coastal Custom Wine Cellars.
Wine Cellar Design Coto de Caza California
Wine cellar construction mistakes will cause waste of time and money. To avoid this, Coastal Custom Wine Cellars always takes quality time to discuss with their clients all of their specific needs, requirements and budget. This is the planning stage where all the necessary details are carefully noted by your builder.
A wine cellar project was completed by Coastal recently. After gathering important information from the client, Coastal created a beautiful 3D wine cellar design package for the client to see a full view of their wine cellar. Every element of this residential wine cellar in Orange County, California was carefully designed and installed. The finished product is a custom wine cellar that is aesthetically appealing and effective at aging wines properly.
Wine Racking
The closet is located under the stairway and has an L-shaped configuration. Because the room is located under the stairs, the ceiling rapidly descends to a height of 64 inches. This descending ceiling is one of the challenges of this wine cellar project. The wine racks must be custom-designed to fit to fit the contours of the stairway. Since the space is limited, the wine racks must also be designed to maximize wine storage.
Elevation A (left side wall)
The elevation A which is at the left wall as you enter this California residential wine cellar, was installed with label forward horizontal wine displays, following the descending height of the ceiling.
Elevation B (back wall)
Wine Racks Designed with Individual Slots, High-Reveal Display Row and Diamond X-Bins
The elevation B is the back wall of the room designed with X-bin wine racks intended for bulk storage. Above it is the single bottle storage with a high-reveal display row. Incorporating a high reveal display row in your wine racking allows the collector to show-off some of his or her favorite vintages separately from other wines. It also allows convenience in selection and retrieval of a specific vintage by storing bottles with labels facing out.
In this display row, the bottles are pitched at a 15-degree angle. This bottle orientation allows the cork to be in partial contact with the wine. This is essential to keep the cork damp and keep the air bubble (formed by a wine’s ullage) at the top rather than in the middle of the bottle. This will result in gradual maturation of wine, which is an important key to achieving a great-tasting wine.
There are more individual bottle slots in the topmost section of elevation B, with size opening of 3 ¾” x 3 ¾”. Each slot can accommodate a 750 ml wine bottle.
The wine racks were all built from Philippine mahogany, applied with a chappo stain and finished with a lacquer to add lust to the wood.
Elevation C (end wall)
The end wall which is located back deep in this residential wine room consists of the shortest wine racks because of the wine cellar refrigeration unit installed above it. It is designed with more individual slots with bulk storage, open bin and case components.
Wine Cellar Cooling System
If not stored in optimal conditions, wine will develop poor quality and cannot be enjoyed by the collector and guests. Investing in a reliable wine cellar cooling system will bring out wine’s desirable flavors and aroma.
In this project, a platinum mini split wine refrigeration unit was used. This is a product of WhisperKOOL, a brand well known for their products’ efficiency and reliability.
Although a compact system, the platinum mini split is very efficient and has features such as an easy to operate controller, an adjustable humidity control, a quick chill mode and anti-frost function. It also provides quiet operation and helps minimize heat exhaust since the compressor, the noisy component of a wine cooling unit, is installed outside the wine room.
Wine Cellar Flooring
If you’re considering building your own wine cellar at home, why not go for a green feature? One great way to do this is to use reclaimed oak wine barrel flooring.
The top portion (cooperage) of the wine barrel was used as the wood on the flooring. This wood still has the unique markings and stamps of the original barrel, adding a unique look to your cellar. This type of flooring is not only environment-friendly but makes the wine room look one-of-a-kind.
Wine Cellar Door
Seville-Style Custom Wine Cellar Door
An ordinary door is not ideal for wine cellars installed with a refrigeration system. The entryway of your wine room should be constructed with an exterior grade and well-insulated wine cellar door.
Exterior grade doors are strong and durable, making them suitable even for outdoor installation. It is able to withstand temperature changes and is able to keep outside air from leaking in.
Coastal installed a Seville-style custom wine cellar door. It was made of a dual-paned glass with wrought iron gate over it and a wooden frame.
To clean the glass portion of the front door, the owner simply opens the latch of the wrought iron gate. The entryway was also equipped with an automatic door bottom to help seal the wine cellar.
A properly insulated door will keep the warm air outside from getting into the wine cellar. This will prevent temperature fluctuations that can harm wine. This will also help prevent your wine cooling system from working too hard, saving you from high-energy bills.
All wine cellar doors from Coastal are built using a combination of the modern LVL (laminated veneer lumber) technology and the traditional method, mortise and tenon. Learn about the different wine cellar door options.
Wine Cellar Art
Wine cellar art is a great addition to a wine cellar. It adds character and uniqueness to your home wine cellar. Adding an artistic touch to your wine storage space can be in the form of wall murals, woodcarvings and paintings.
Coastal’s client chose a wine cellar painting done by an impressionist artist named Janina Pazdan. The interior walls of the wine room were painted with a beautiful faux grapevine. This art piece adds dimension to the space.
Call an Expert in California for Any Wine Cellar Needs
Need assistance for your next custom wine cellar project? Choose Wine Cellars by Coastal, a company that offers wine storage solutions designed to cater to various needs of wine collectors. Even limited space under the stairs can be converted into stunning wine storage.
Their expertise, passion, and quality products and service will ensure that your wine collection is in good hands. Call them today at (888) 735-8889 or request a 3D wine cellar design for FREE!
California Installation Office
26222 Paseo Toscana
San Juan Capistrano, California 92675
(949) 355-4376