In the late 1980s we experienced a growing trend, which continues today, of incorporating "specialty" rooms into the home. With this client's passion for wine came a desire to store their collection in a private wine cave. Since the space did not exist in their current lower-level footprint, a tasting room was excavated out beneath the existing garage floor. As you walk through the tasting room you approach the space pictured, which contains floor-to-ceiling wine racks, case storage and display crates for magnums and jeroboams.
In the foreground, the custom iron gate that was designed by the architect and locally fabricated has been anchored to the foundation wall. The wall has been skillfully cut through then plastered with stippled cement purposely void of perfection, emulating sections of plaster that might have flaked off over years of use.
The floors are a variegated slate tile set in a running bond pattern. The walls, vaguely in view behind and above the racks, are the raw foundation walls which maintain the characteristics of traditional wine caves. The ceiling and the racks were hand crafted using spruce, an inexpensive wood typically used for crates and pallets, but most appropriate to achieve this authentic environment. The combination of these elements creates an inviting space in which to relax with your closest friends over your favorite glass of wine.