A properly designed residential wine cellar can add a beautiful space to your home in addition to adding to its value, but many people believe that wine cellar design is beyond their capabilities. This is a false belief! All that is required is some knowledge about what is possible and the possibilities of creating your own wine cellar using wooden wine racks. If you are able to measure the space in your home then you are able to create your own custom designs for a stunning wine storage space.
One thing you should consider when planning your storage space is the likely growth of your wine collection over time. You may have a modest collection now, but you want to be certain that you plan for future acquisitions and the potential of having an much larger collection in the future. Other things that need to be considered include:
- your wine cellar’s location in your home
- how will you control the temperature in your wine storage space
- what size bottles will you be storing
- will you be entertaining in the wine cellar
Once you have an idea of how large your storage area will be you should begin to consider what cooling units will be necessary. The reason for this is that the placement of the cooling units and controls can be crucial in the design of your wine cellar. You need to allow for adequate space for the cooling unit and duct work as well as considering the best placement of the temperature controls. You certainly don’t want to take up valuable space that could be used for wine cabinets and racks if you don’t have to. Plan for the space occupied by opening doors and trim work as well as the placement of the racks themselves. Proper planning at this point can add valuable space to include more bottles in your precious collection.
How to Decide Which Wine Cellar Design Will Work for Me?
There are as many possible designs for wine cellars as there are homes and individuals interested in wine collecting. Your design should be a reflection of the space available in your home, the size of your collection and even your own personality. If you just want space to store a small amount of wine you could even refit a small closet to use for wine storage. If you plan on expanding your collection beyond several dozen bottles though you may want to consider a walk in wine cellar. Most people can get away with using modular wine racks, but you can easily personalize the space with different wood trims, a special tasting area and beautiful artwork. The options for personalizing a wine cellar are endless.
Is It Necessary to Control Temperature In My Wine Cellar?
Temperature control is perhaps as important as the design of the space itself. What point is there to have a beautifully appointed space for storing your wine if you let the wine age too fast or even spoil. A cellar that is too warm will cause your wine to age more rapidly than necessary and may even lead to off tastes in the wine. Temperature swings can be even worse since they allow oxygen to get into the wine. If you want your wine to have the bright flavors you expect you need to invest in proper temperature control and insulation for your wine cellar.
Once you know the size and location of your space you can decide what cooling to use and integrate that into your plans. It is then easy to choose wine racks and cabinets to install and if your space allows you can then introduce aesthetic touches to your wine cellar design such as a tasting station, rich looking wood trim and artwork .