If you have a few bottles of wine in your home, a wine cabinet would probably suffice at keeping them fresh. But if you’re planning on expanding your collection, you’ll definitely need a bigger space! At Custom Wine Cellars San Francisco, we are here to help you create the wine cellar of your dreams! From the lighting to the flooring, enclosure, and custom wine rack ideas, you’ll have the support you need from an expert wine cellar team!
Usually, the basement and garage are two of the most common areas converted into a wine room, and our team recently completed a conversion project in San Mateo, California which we are excited to share to you today!
Renovating a Garage into a Wine Room with Unique Custom Wine Rack Ideas
Custom Wine Cellars San Francisco, a trusted wine room contractor in California, was contacted by a client who needed construction services. The client is a surgeon in San Mateo County who is a long time wine aficionado. He had a huge collection that is comprised of hundreds of bottles gathered from different countries all over the world. At that time, the client only owned a small wine cabinet where he stored all of his bottles.
The surgeon had a relative who owned a larger wine collection. This relative recently passed away and the client inherited all of his bottles. Because of this sudden increase of wines on hand, the client was faced with the dilemma of finding a space to store all of the bottles. So, since he had a 4-car garage that was unused, he decided to turn the space into a wine cellar.
Conceptualizing the Wine Cellar Design
The team of expert builders from Custom Wine Cellars San Francisco was consulted by the client regarding how to convert the San Mateo garage into a spacious wine room that can accommodate a large number of bottles. The wine cellar designers created a 3D design that reflected the client’s vision of his storage room. After the client had approved the drawings, the construction commenced.
The original goal of the project was to construct a cellar that could house around 1,500 wine bottles. But to provide the client with flexibility and allow space for a continuously growing collection, the team found a way to create greater storage capacity. The back half of the garage was enclosed, so that a 17 foot wide by 10 foot deep wine cellar could be built. Because of this modification, racks that can accommodate up to 2,138 bottles could be created.
Turning our Custom Wine Rack Ideas into Reality
The client had the wine racks custom-designed, in order to meet his storage needs. There were standard-sized wines in his collection, as well as magnum-sized bottles. The racking system created was customized to accommodate bottles of varying sizes.
All racks were built from Mahogany, which is one of the most popular wood species used by wine cellar builders for custom wine racks. A cherry stain and a satin finish were applied on the racks to enhance the wood’s aesthetics. Mahogany is a very durable kind of material that can withstand humid conditions, like that inside a wine storage room.
The Back Wall of the Wine Cellar
Right across the cellar’s entryway was the back wall where a granite table top with an elegant lattice arch was built. The tabletop was bordered by label forward horizontal display racks. This style of wine display allows the bottle labels to be seen immediately. The owner can put his favorite vintages on these racks, so that he can show them off to visitors and friends. The builders included a set of cabinets and drawers below the tabletop where the client can keep wine tasting rudiments, like napkins, glasses, bottle openers, etc.
Diamond bins, which are meant for bulk storage, were included in the left and right of the bottom half of the racking system. In the middle part of the back wall, the team also built a high reveal display row. The rest of the racks on this wall were single bottle slots.
The Left and Right Cellar Walls
Both the left and the right walls of the wine cellar were installed with individual bottle storage slots, a high reveal display row, and diamond bins. The contractors also included wooden cases on both walls, and they were mounted on roll out shelves for easy access. These wooden cases were made for magnum-sized bottles.
On the left wall, a space was kept open for the installation of a self-contained refrigeration system.
Additional Racking Systems at the Entry Area of the Cellar
At the entry area of the wine room, quarter-round display racks were mounted. Immediately after these racking systems, diamond bins were installed, and above them were single bottle storage slots and a high reveal display row.
A freestanding tasting table with a granite tabletop is situated at the center of the wine cellar. The front area of the table included individual bottle storage racks, while its back part had label forward displays.
There are plenty of custom wine rack ideas that can inspire you for your design. Check out our gallery to see more of these design inspirations!
Installation of an Energy Efficient Wine Cellar Lighting System
An LED lighting system was installed in the garage-turned-cellar. These types of lights were quite costly to purchase, but the client would save more money in the long run. This is because the lighting utilizes minimal energy to function. Also, they do not emit ultraviolet rays, and they produce minimal heat. UV light and heat are two factors that can damage wines.
Mounting of a Self-Contained Wine Cellar Refrigeration Unit
An HVAC professional installed a CellarPro VSX refrigeration system in this wine cellar. This equipment is an exterior vent, self-contained cooling unit. It is known for its robust performance and quiet operation. The HVAC system also has other awesome features, such as an electronic thermostat, adjustable humidity control, and digital LED display.
