Building A Wine Cellar – 3 Simple Ways To ‘WoW’ your space!

So you’ve decided on where to create your space/room/cellar…what next? The room construction must be done of course – but wait – spend a few minutes here and consider your options. Things that differentiate a room from ‘A ROOM’ can be quite frankly the simple things. Apart from the racking itself the biggest visual impact comes from 3 simple factors: 1-Color, 2 – Textures, and 3 – Lighting.  
COLOR
Color and textures are closely related but are still separate issues (eg. wood can provide a noticeable texture even a theme but stain it light or dark [read color] and the feel of the space changes so we’ll address that in a minute). Walls and ceiling are your largest color canvas assuming of course that you not trying to make an overt statement with your flooring. Don’t be afraid to go big with a strong color like Burgundy or Coffee colors. Rich colors provide a classy backdrop for pretty much all wood and/or black steel racking. A couple gallons of paint and a few hours work will create a dramatic effect, an impressive space and a visually pleasing place to return to when in need of a bottle or two for you or guests or maybe just –a brag tour (aka “…have you seen my new wine cellar?”)
TEXTURE
As I mentioned wood provides a fitting backdrop texture that is easily colorized to suit the look and feel of the room you are trying to achieve. Most often applied to walls and or ceilings with a T&G (tongue and groove) format, it looks GREAT! Whether you are going for a modern style or contemporary it can be mixed with other mediums or used a la carte to compliment almost any look. When looking into other texture types keep in mind that very expensive materials for special visual effects will most likely be covered by racking/bottles in a lot of cases and therefore kinda pointless to spend alot on. Make sure you consider how your choice in this matter will contrast with the flooring, your other major color contributor in the room. For walls/ceilngs we have used T&G redwood, fir and cedar in the wood department; reclaimed brick veneer: man-made (looks real) stone in dry-stack style.
If choosing new flooring is realistic then consider 4 beautiful cellar winners: flagstone, slate, wood and tile. Stamped concrete can be colorized and made to look like a natural stone or a paver and should not be discounted as a good alternative if you have the option of raising the floor more than a couple inches. Flagstone, slate, wood and tile floors can be installed with the least rise in height, least preparation and least amount of height transition in contrast with existing adjacent floors. There is something about flagstone that is very ‘old world’ and fitting for a wine cellar floor especially when you are keeping the earthtones palette for the rest of the room. Slate and wood floors have a warmth about them that is inviting. Tile comes in almost endless choices of colors and textures for any design style and taste from large quarry tile to tumbled marble to elongated woodgrain textures. Take your time and choose carefully for a space you’ll never tire of visiting.
LIGHTING
The right lighting is important. When your cellar can be viewed from outside by means of a thermopane glass door or partition wall your lighting options become even more important. Being able to see into this ‘inner sanctum’ offers the opportunity to use effective lighting inside the cellar to create a rich ambience in the adjacent room(s) which are usually a den, family room or living room. I try to create a focal point in the floorplan where lighting can have a more dramatic effect. Flush-mount pots in the ceiling at specific intervals in directly front of racking for a down-lit spot effect looks perfect every time and can also be achieved by ceiling hugger type track lighting with multiple adjustable/moveable heads. Continuous lighting strips of L.E.D. or rope lighting along a bank of angled display bottle racking has a tremendous impact and isn’t cost prohibitive at all. Put your lighting on a dimmer for better control. If you are using a cooling unit for the space you may not be as concerned about heat but otherwise consider using light sources that create less/little heat vs. high heat…..CFB (compact florescent bulbs) or better yet H.O (high output) LED’s versus halogen and regular filament bulbs. Remember that heat is not friendly to wine and should be avoided aggressively. UV rays are also a no no, so avoid allowing sunlight into your cellar by using a UV blocking film for glass wall sections and doors where sunlight can reach.

Considering these simple details will make for a functional and beautiful space that won’t break the bank while still looking fabulous.
Greg