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A Room of Wine's Own
For many wine collectors, their bottles are not just a source of joy, they are an investment. Therefore, keeping them in proper conditions is essential. Wine rooms offer just the kind of protection your collection needs, and can be customized to fit your sense of style. For example, wall treatments are an easy way to alter the look and feel for your wine room without compromising effectiveness. If you love the look of an old world or rustic wine cellar, it's easy to do with a little metallic paint and a few mismatched chairs. Walls can be stucco-ed, tiled, slated, or mosaic-ed with stone or rock. Wood paneling is also a classic option. Choose materials that will not warp or retain or leak moisture.
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VigilantInc.com Tip: Decorating Your Wine Tasting Room
The decorations in your wine room gives your guests as much of an impression of you and your tastes as the wine you serve. When you build a separate wine tasting room, you are making the extra effort to provide your guests with an environment that suits tasting while preserving the environment of your wine cellar for proper wine storage. By incorporating the same design aspects into your wine tasting room as your wine storage room, you can be sure both rooms are a single entity in design and style.
First of all, your wine room plans should include a small amount of both storage and display. This way you can be prepared for your wine tasting event with everything you need in one place. Wine furniture that features arches or wine glass storage are also a great addition to any tasting room. Choose a wine table and displays that match your wine cellar storage racks. Make sure you have enough seating to entertain all the people you'd like to invite (matching your dining room capacity is a great way to be sure you're on the right track). One of the advantages of having a wine tasting room is that you will have wall space that wouldn’t be available in your wine cellar. Take advantage and decorate with artwork or lighted displays to show off your most prized bottles.
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Adding a Wine Cellar Room in an Existing Home
You can add a wine cellar room to an existing home, it just takes a bit more planning and design. Design consultants can help you determine the best area in your home to turn into a wine room. They can also tell you what areas to avoid.
If you're adding on to your home, the design consultants can tell your architect what specifications are necessary for new construction. Whatever your needs, you can add a wine room to your home with just a little homework and help from knowledgeable professionals.
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VigilantInc.com Tip: Wine Tasting Room Design
Many custom wine rooms include a table or other furniture intended for use while hosting guests for a wine tasting. However, wine rooms require temperature control and having too many guests may disturb the temperature level in your wine room. The best solution is to think ahead before you build your wine tasting room and carefully weigh how many guests you may entertain. Your construction plans should take this information into consideration.
Wine rooms designed for tasting and entertaining allow you to have a space dedicated to guests without compromising room temperature. If you are considering a wine tasting room, it is important to know this before you start designing your wine room plans. By knowing you will utilize some of the space for tasting, you can be sure to design your wine room with the use in mind. Discuss with your designer how this will affect your wine storage, and any affects it may have on your cooling system. This way you can have easy access to your wine, while still being able to host wine tastings without worrying about the warming effects of the number of people you invite.
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Can I use a Through-Wall Cooling System and Humidifier in my Wine Room?
You may be able to install a through-wall cooling system and humidifier in your new wine room. (Note: Your wine cellar cooler will probably not have a built-in humidifier, so you may end up buying it separately.) You just need to remember that the cooler cannot vent to an outside wall, and it must vent into a room that is twice as big as the wine room.
These cooler and humidifier units are easy to install and can cool a number of different sized rooms. There are many cooler and humidifier options, so if a through-wall cooling unit won't work for you, there are others that will.
A design professional can help you determine what cooler and humidifier is just right for your specific needs.
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Up-to-Date Wine Room Design
Wine caves are popular, but there are many other trends right now in wine room design. Many people are discovering the joys of entertaining in their wine rooms, and so they are furnishing and decorating them for comfort, style, and storage. Some other trends are video surveillance, and even backup generators in case the cooling or electrical system fails. Many people are storing their wine in the original wooden crates, too, so racking systems that include crate storage are becoming much more popular. Other hot trends include customized murals or other artwork, and furniture made to match or blend with your wine room decor. The hottest trends in wine room design are always just over the horizon, so keep checking back for more new and innovative wine room design ideas!
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The Right Wine Room Design
If you don't have a basement or a cellar, you might want to create a wine room specifically for wine storage. These wine rooms, off the kitchen, dining room, or family room, offer convenient, large capacity, and climate controlled storage for your wines. Of course, we always recommend below ground wine cellars, but if that simply is not an option, make sure there is a space for the cooling system to exhaust into.
You can turn an existing room into a wine room, or you can create one when you design your home. Either way, you should base your wine room design on the number of bottles you'd like to store now -- and in the future.
It can be big enough to walk in or it can be a small space, like a closet beneath the stairs. It should be able to hold sufficient storage racks for your needs, and be insulated for climate control. A wine room may be just what you need to get your wine collection going!
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Why Mahogany for Your Wine Cellar?
Don't be fooled by competitors who offer cheaper woods, like redwood and pine! These are soft woods that can dent if a bottle hits them, or with everyday use. In addition, these woods are not as strong as mahogany, and racks built with them may not be able to hold as much weight as those made of mahogany. When storing hundreds of bottles, that weight is a real consideration! In addition, mahogany is a beautiful wood that will stand the rigors of wine storage for many years. Other manufacturers may tell you their woods are adequate for the job. However, a mahogany wine cellar is stronger, more durable, and equally beautiful. If you're going to invest in fine wines, invest in a mahogany wine cellar to do them justice.
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What's the Difference Between a Wine Room and a Wine Cellar?
You can use these two terms interchangeably, although traditionally wine cellars have been located below ground in a cellar or basement to take advantage of the natural cooling properties you'll find there.
Today, a "wine cellar" can literally be placed anywhere in the home because of climate control and insulation, although below ground is always best and far less expensive.
Wine rooms are often easily accessible, and they may even be used for entertaining and wine tasting. Many people install them close to their kitchen or dining room.
Whether you are designing a wine room or a wine cellar, it's best to work with design professionals to ensure your wine storage space lasts for decades.
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What are Wine Rooms?
Basically, wine rooms are wine cellars, but they aren't located in the basement or cellar of your home. Some homes don't have cellars, and some people find it much more convenient to place wine rooms closer to the kitchen or dining room so they can access them quickly when they need to.
Wine rooms can hold a few bottles of your favorite wine, or several hundred. Sometimes owners even place dining tables and furniture in their wine rooms, and use them as they would any other room in the home in addition to storing wine. They use them for tastings and entertaining, too.
Wine rooms are becoming much more popular in new construction, and it seems sure you'll see more of them in custom homes in the future.
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The Perfect Wine Room
What makes a perfect wine room? It starts with the construction.
Your contractor needs to create a framework shell to hold your racking and cooling systems that meets certain specifications. A design professional can help you determine just how to build that perfect wine room, so it will be functional long into the future.
Some online wine rack retailers provide software you can use to map out your wine cellar or wine room with existing wine racks. You can also consult with a design professional for a custom wine storage design. Your contractor or architect can see the specifications from your wine storage retailer and incorporate them into the design of your home.
Working with our design professionals ensures there won't be any surprises when it comes to designing your perfect wine room.
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Size Matters
When you are designing your wine room, you need to consider location, wine room cooling, the door, the accessories - but you also need to consider the size of the wine bottles you plan on storing. After all, a wine room that can't hold the wine bottles you want, isn't much of a wine room. Here is a wine bottle size guide to help you out:
SPLIT: Split bottles hold 187 ml. This makes them equal to one quarter a standard wine bottle. They are only used for sparkling wine.
HALF BOTTLE: A half bottle is just as it sounds - 375 ml. which is ½ of a normal wine bottle. Great for picnicking.
BOTTLE: 750 ml. is the standard wine bottle.
MAGNUM: A Magnum is 1.5 liters, or twice the capacity of a normal wine bottle.
DOUBLE MAGNUM: A Double Magnum is three liters, or equal to four normal wine bottles.
JEROBOAM: Jeroboam is the same capacity as a Double Magnum. This term is usually used in France. As with a Double Magnum, three liters is equal to four normal wine bottles.
REHOBOAM: A Rehoboam is 4.5 liters which is equivalent to 6 wine bottles.
IMPERIAL: An Imperial is 6 liters which is equivalent to 8 standard bottles.
METHUSALEM: A Methusalem is the French term for an Imperial.
SALMANAZER: A Salmanazer is 9 liters of wine in one bottle. 9 liters, which is equivalent to 12 bottles of wine, typically makes up a standard case.
BALTHAZAR: A Balthazar is 12 liters and equal to sixteen standard wine bottles.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR: A Nebuchadnezzar is usually between 12 and 16 liters. This means it will be between 16 and 20 bottles.
SOVERIGN: A Sovereign is 50 liters which is equivalent to 67 standard bottles.
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Request Wine Room Renderings
When you are working with a company on the design of your wine room, ask if they have the capability to give you a rendering or computer generated design of what your wine room will look like. This can help you visualize what the room will look like and exactly how you want to furnish it, and also offer suggestions and feedback on the designers ideas. Color examples work best and ask them how closely they can construct the wine room to the design plans they have furnished for you.
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Get Help With Your Wine Room Design
If you're designing a wine room, you don't have to do it alone! You can work out a floor plan, see it drawn up in CAD, envision what it will look like in your home, and alter the design until it works for you.
Your contractor can become involved in the wine room design, too, so they know just how to construct the shell that will hold your precious collection. So, do yourself a favor. Consult with the experts and make sure your wine room design is perfect for today, and for years to come.
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Picking the Right Wine Room Cooler and Humidifier
Chances are, your wine room is in the main portion of your house, and so, it will need to be climate controlled with the right wine room cooling system and humidifier. Some wine room cooling units cannot vent outside, and others must vent outside, so that's an important consideration when you build your wine room.
The cooling unit shouldn't be too large for the room, and it should be accessible in case it needs maintenance or repair. If you pick the wrong size wine room cooling system, it could keep the wine too cold or too warm, so it's important to consult design professionals when you choose the wine room cooling unit and humidifier. Plan ahead for years of wine drinking enjoyment!
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Label Bottles For Convenience
Labeling systems vary in wine room storage. Bottle tags can help keep track of what is stored in your wine room. You cannot always tell what flavor a wine by quickly glancing at the label or the bottle. Bottle tags come in a variety of colors and can be hung around the neck of the wine. Write on it in permanent ink to prevent anything from making it unreadable. Tagging every bottle in your collection can help you to locate the bottle you are looking for quickly and efficiently and without disturbing your entire collection.
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Why are Wine Rooms so Hot?
What's the newest trend in home design? Wine rooms! More people are discovering the pleasures of enjoying and collecting fine wines, and more people are discovering the convenience of storing them in their own homes. Recent studies show that yearly wine consumption has risen 22 percent since 1994, and premium wine sales have grown 77 percent in the same time. So, wine is hot, and so are wine rooms! Whether purely for storage or for a blend of storage, entertainment, and pure pizzazz, wine rooms are a component of most on-spec and custom homes today. So, what are you waiting for? Put a wine room in your home and join the millions who are really enjoying their fine wines in the comfort of their own homes.
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Which do I Need? Wine Room or Wine Cellar?
Really, the two terms are used interchangeably with most collectors and builders. A wine room may technically be a room above ground. However, wine cellars are often called wine rooms, too. A wine room can also be a self-contained walk-in unit that is placed inside an existing room. Whatever you call it, wine room or wine cellar, it's becoming one of the most popular must-have's in new home construction. Adding a wine room will add value to your home, and plenty of panache, too.
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Planning Wine Rooms
There's a lot to know about planning wine rooms, from construction to lay-out. Once you have the construction basics down, it's time for the real fun! Planning for wine rooms includes picking out furniture, artwork, and creating the actual design of your wine room to hold your collection now and into the future. How many bottles do you want to store? Is your wine room pure storage or a showplace, too? Answering these questions can give you an idea of what size to make your room, and how to furnish it. Once you have the bones of the room, planning wine rooms is easy. Color, texture, and lighting are all important, and these details will add up to a spectacular wine room!
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Keep Wine Room Quiet
The health of your wine depends on a number of factors - one of which is sound. Sound is directly related to vibration and the more of either one you have in your wine cellar, the more likely it will affect your wine. Vibrations of your wine bottle mix up the sediment that normally rests on the bottom of the bottle. Noisy machinery in your wine room will cause vibrations. Vibrations will unsettle your wine and remove the ability for it to “rest.” Invest in the quietest wine cooling system you can find to give your wine a chance to age peacefully and properly.
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Maintain Good Air Quality In Your Wine Room
Another essential component of properly maintaining your wine room is good air quality. Wine breathes and can incorporate unpleasant smells and debris into the wine through the cork. This can contaminate the bottle and cause the overall flavor to become harsh, sour or generally unpleasant. A clean wine room environment is important to the health of your wine collection. Make sure the wine room is properly ventilated and cleaned regularly to rid the area of dust, dirt and other unwanted irritants.
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Go Vintage In Wine Room Design
Consider going vintage in your wine room design. Install vintage bar stools and find antique stemware to store in the area. This type of design would make your wine room stand out, more than any other area of your home. Place vintage art on the walls from Old World Italy and wire speakers throughout to play international music from the 1940s and 50s. You guests will have a wonderful time relaxing in an area that fills them with nostalgia.
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Install A Wine Dispenser
Consider installing a wine dispenser in your wine room, particularly if you plan to entertain in it. A wine dispenser takes away the task of pouring from the bottle and can be self-installed or installed by a wine retailer. You can serve wine-by-the-glass from dispensers attached to bottles stored in a wine cabinet. This gives you the option to serve different flavors of wine in a no-fuss manner.
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Incorporate Art Elements Into Wine Room Design
Your wine room design should reflect your personality and taste. Adding art elements can do just that. Some companies offer mural services, in which they contract with reputable artists to paint an original mural for your wine room. This is one unique option as you can convey your ideas to be incorporated into the work. Custom murals and artwork can include the use of personal sayings and photographs, certain pictures or themes already found in the home and more. Be as creative as possible and work closely with the artist to come up with a piece that will fit your wine room and your personality.
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Get Creative With Wine Room
Murals and paintings are not the only creative elements you can use in a wine room design. Other accents you can use in your wine room include: special lighting elements, stained glass, decorative flooring, hand-painted floor tiles, hand-painted table-tops, sculptures, wood carvings, etched mirrors and more. This is the perfect space for artistic expression. Incorporate color and creativity to give your wine room a unique flair not found in other rooms of your home.
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Decorative Ceilings Add Elegance To Wine Room
Decorative ceilings can add a touch of elegance to any wine room design. There have been incredible innovations in ceiling design, as more homeowners want to customize every aspect of their homes. Wine rooms are a great space to be creative. Consider installing a raised panel ceiling, tongue and groove paneling or etched light boxes. These decorative ceiling accents can provide your wine room with a unique style that will complement your accessories and wine collection.
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Install Humidor In Wine Room
Cigars are an unparalleled match with a glass of good wine. Since cigars also need to be stored in specific, controlled conditions, install a humidor in your wine room. The convenience owning a humidor means that you can enjoy the benefits of a fresh, properly stored cigar with your bottle of fine wine. This also puts you at an advantage when you are entertaining guests in your home. Just remember: Do not ever smoke your cigars around your wine collection as the smoke will adversely affect the flavor of your wine stock. Also remember to keep the doors of your humidor closed at all times to keep cigar smells from wafting out.
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