Luxury Wine Storage in a Small Space
Many of our latest custom wine room projects are proof that you don’t need a country estate (or even a full-size room) to store your wine in style.
Our clients in this small, but swanky condo in Portland’s Pearl District had just a tiny corner of space to work with. Tucked in between the fireplace and floor-to-ceiling terrace doors, we transformed this formerly awkward and unused storage space into a showstopper of a home wine and cocktail bar.
Working with an area of this size, it’s all about materials and maximizing the workable space. We created custom housing in stained Cherry for a narrow wine refrigerator to chill Champagnes and protect a few cherished Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs. Hand-milled glassware storage sits to the side with room for 24 flutes and wine glasses (looking for the best stemware to complement your wines? Check out our glassware guide). To the left of the wine fridge, built-in shelving houses our clients’ favorite spirits and cocktail-ware, for those nights when a super frosty Gin martini is on the menu.
To take advantage of the vertical space and give the wine bar a focal point, a back-lit wall extends all the way to the ceiling. A simple system of brushed steel wine racks matches the finish of the wine fridge, and keeps a low profile while creating a gorgeous display for up to 75 bottles.
In our Silver Oak wine cellar, shown below, we used the same technique of maximizing vertical space to make room for up to 900 bottles of wine while still keeping things airy and open with glass doors that playfully reflect prisms of light from the bottles stored within. A custom sliding library ladder lets the owners reach the top shelves easily while adding to the traditional, craftsman look. And display shelving and crate storage take center stage to create a strong visual center.
5 tips for small space wine storage
1. Look for under-utilized storage space
Have a corner that’s too small to hold any furniture? Got a closet that’s too shallow? These could be prime locations for wine storage and display.
2. Take advantage of your vertical space
When your total footprint isn’t big, making use of every inch from floor to ceiling will give you a surprising amount of room for storing wine.
3. Choose 2-3 high-end materials
Choosing a minimal palette of materials gives a clean, uncluttered look even in the smallest of spaces. The bonus of working with a small space is that since your total square footage is low, you can go with luxury finishes for everything from shelving to draw pulls.
4. Use lighting to create a focal point
Small spaces can often mean dim lighting. Even a tiny corner can be transformed with the right lighting effects so your storage looks intentional and adds to the personal style of your home. When lighting wine storage, choose LEDs that won’t put off heat that could damage your wines.
5. Curate, curate, curate
The smaller the space, the faster it looks cluttered. Be realistic about how much wine you can properly store. If you’ve been hoarding 200+ bottles of the finest Bordeaux, do yourself a favor and rent a wine storage unit to protect your investment (in Oregon, we highly recommend Portland Wine Storage and Bend Wine Storage), and create a home wine display for 20-30 bottles you plan to drink in the near future.
Interested in creating your own custom home wine bar, cellar or room?
All of our projects begin with a design consultation and are:
Fully customizable for your space, style and collection
Handcrafted with wood and high-quality finishes sourced directly from Northwest suppliers
Cooled with professional grade refrigeration