When clients first get in touch with us, some have a clear idea of how they would like their wine wall or wine room to look. However, some enquirers have an open remit and often ask what options they have available?
The answer to that question is endless! There are many racking systems, glazing styles and cooling systems available that can all influence the overall look and design of your wine wall. Also if you have flexibility on the space that is available, we can design a wine wall around your home, your interior styling and also size it to meet any wine collection capacity requirements that you may have.
So, before you start dreaming of your ideal wine wall, we would ask you to consider the following options.
TO BE COOLED OR NOT TO BE COOLED?
Most wine walls, rooms and cellars need to be temperature controlled. This will ensure the wine being displayed and stored is kept at the correct temperatures to ensure the wine does not deteriorate in quality. If your wine suffers due to poor storage conditions, you will lose the investment that you have spent over the years on your wine collection. Therefore, for a relatively small capital investment, a temperature control system will give you the peace of mind that your cherished wine collection is in safe hands!
Given that most wine walls will hold a minimum of 250 bottles of wine, with some running into the 000’s, it is highly unlikely this wine will be consumed within 12 months and that you will want to keep this wine for a number of years. Creating the correct environment is therefore critical in ensuring the corks do not dry and that bacteria does not form, both of which can damage the wine inside the bottle and also damage labels, corks and foils thus devaluing the wine.
Finally, you may not want a temperature control system or be worried about capacity or storage conditions – what you want is a wine display with that WOW factor, something that people will remember. WineWalls can help you out on this front too, an ambient display with minimal racking but stunning glass and light design can create a magnificent showcase and design statement in your home.
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
Most locations within your home will be suitable for your wine wall, room or cellar. Most wine walls sit against an existing wall – either an internal wall or an external wall to the building. Some wine walls can be used as a room divider creating a stunning wine display central to a room, typically with glass to both the front and rear, and sometimes one or both sides will be glazed as well.
WineWalls have installed in every room of the house from the kitchen to hallways, living areas, dining rooms, games rooms, dens and even bedrooms. We have also provided wine walls and storage areas under the stairs, in pantries, basements, outbuildings and garages. So, location is not normally a critical factor, however space can be ….
OUTER SPACE … AND INNER SPACE
You may have a pre-determined space ideal for a wine wall, you may have a large area and are unsure what size to go for or you may have an existing room (or part of a room) that you wish to convert – whatever your own unique situation, WineWalls will guide you through the various options available in order to find the right solution for you, your home and your wine.
Considerations on space include the size of your wine collection now but more importantly how large it could be in the future; do you have sufficient depth to be able to walk into a wine wall once the racking is installed, or will it need to be a reach in wine wall only?; do you need to consider allowing for a technical compartment for the cooling system so it can be hidden out of view?; the space may be defined by the racking you require also, with different depths available all with minimum requirements.
CORRECT INSULATION = LONG TERM SOLUTION
If you are opting for temperature control, it is critical you insulate the space properly. A fully insulated shell needs to be created with a vapour seal around it to ensure the cool air stays in, and the external warmer air stays out. This ensures moisture does not build up within the walls. WineWalls can advise you and your builders on how this should be created to ensure the wine wall, room or cellar has longevity and the cooling system operates efficiently.
WINE (WALL) GLASS
For feature wine walls, glazing is important. WineWalls would normally recommend double glazing for use when a cooling system is installed but the heavier frames are not to everyone’s taste. We can now offer single pane glazing solutions for cooled wine storage spaces which provide a more contemporary and cleaner look should this be more in line with your style requirements. The glazing is an important consideration at an early stage, as it can affect the space, style and build requirements for the wine wall as well as the capacity requirements for the cooling system.
STYLE AND DESIGN – THE FUN BIT!
At last, the fun creative bit! Now all the groundwork is done, let WineWalls design the racking layout – we will make sure we create something unique for you and the space you have. WineWalls would request you look through some of our previous work on our website or we’ll send you some presentation files so if anything catches your eye, you can let us know and we can start drafting the design. It normally takes two or three attempts before we agree the design, after considering all of the factors above such as the specific location within your home, the space required, cooling system feasibility, wine collection capacity, insulation, glazing etc – no one said it would be easy!
With the move over recent years from basement wine cellars to wine walls as a central feature of your home, wine racking has had to evolve to cater for a wider range of personal styles that want to be reflected in wine showcases. WineWalls can cater for all tastes with our extensive racking supplier network. In summary these can be grouped into three categories:
Traditional: All wooden racks, with wood being treated to make humidity resistant, offer a warm and welcoming environment. With wood being such a flexible material, many bottle layouts can be used from individual lattice style racks, diamond bins, feature shelfs, display shelves, wooden case storage, pull-out shelves, drawers and cupboards. Often accompanied by traditional surfaces such as cork walls, stone and gravel flooring and granite work tops, and with barrels and wine gadgetry and souvenirs all on display to give a homely feel.
Contemporary: Modern clean lines using metal racks, acrylic pegs, cable racks and aluminium rods to name but a few will provide a contemporary and somewhat fun look to a wine display. Clever use of LED lighting and glazing help to emphasise the wine display as a central feature to your home. Often more spaced out than traditional layouts, a contemporary wine wall will typically hold less bottles but will showcase then in a unique style.
Hybrid: A popular choice in recent times, a hybrid racking layout will provide the best of both worlds of showcasing bottles but also offering functional storage for your wine collection. An example would be a combination of metal wine racks or cable systems for individual bottles to the top section, feature bottle shelf and countertop to the middle and wooden case racks and pull out shelves for expensive bottles to the base. Mixing natural elements of wood, metal and stone can ensure the wine wall theme mirrors the home’s interior design.
WineWalls have may years’ experience in creating unique and cost-effective solutions for our clients. If you are interested in creating a wine wall, wine room or wine cellar for your home, or have an existing area that needs attention, please contact us for further information.
