We enjoy when clients love wine as much as we do and when our returning Millswood clients came to us with an idea, our eyes lit up like fireworks… “Turn our Study into a Wine Room”.
But what do we really know about wine? We knew before diving into this project, we would need to educate ourselves on what makes a successful Wine Room. Research began into the technical requirements; Efficient temperature control, airlocked entries and functional wine storage. But aside from these necessities, we wanted to create a space filled with flavour, texture, intrigue and sophistication.
We contacted Eurocave, a well-renowned Australian company in Wine Storage and temperature control systems and they educated us in the INOA system. This system was essentially an air conditioner for wine. This system allowed us to control the temperature of air and kept the wine stored at its optimal temperature. Failure to do so and we may have risked ruining the bottles flavour. We creatively concealed the unit within the joinery, keeping its speaker-like grills visible. We took away the bulkiness of the unit and allowed it to camouflage into the beautiful Laminex Honey Elm panel.
We noticed the space was lacking any external intrigue. We don’t blame it, it was a study after all. We wanted to create an opportunity to ‘tease’ the viewer walking past, almost giving them a little taste before entering. We decided to create a viewing window from the Kitchen, just large enough that you could grab a sneak peek before coming in through the new glass door. All windows and doors installed were double-glazed and argon filled to ensure no air escaped – Any addition drafts could affect the INOA’s air control and jeopardise the wine.
Our team at By Urban knew our client had a bit of a collection but knowing how they wanted the wine stored was important to us so we could design our joinery to suit. They put their trust in us to create a functional yet sophisticated space. Our main objective was to give our clients options. We utilised as much Wall display, lower cabinet storage and feature shelving to ensure they could store everything, with some simply tucked away for special occasions.
The wall mounted wine racks were not only functional but created an eye-catching feature. The wine ladder was definitely an added necessity to the room. Tackling over 3m Ceilings, access to those higher bottles became that little bit easier with the installation of RAM hardware’s black anodised ladder. Custom-made to suit the space, this product out of Queensland and NZ definitely made a statement. We also made sure to utilise any existing space including the unused fireplace for some added open storage.
A few words came to mind when we thought of ‘Wine’; smooth, smoky and warm. The materials in this space definitely created a mood and generated a feeling. The use of the Laminex Honey Elm Laminate against the harshness of the exposed brick and strong Jet black Caesarstone, allowed an element of warmth to soften the overall colour scheme. The use of feature lighting was extremely important to generate this mood and also showcase a level of sophistication. Placement and direction played a huge part in drawing the eye to certain aspects of the room, whilst keeping other sections subtle and discreet. The selection of the copper splash-back and glass cabinets allowed light to bounce off these reflective surfaces and cast shadows around the room.
“This is currently the most used space in the house – can you believe it?” – We couldn’t be happier with the response from our clients and we are so humbled to have successfully completed such an enjoyable space.
Just like a smooth glass of red, this room will only get better with age.