Take a look at this beautiful and contemporary glass wine closet…

Steve Pantalemon, a master custom wine cellar designer and builder with the Wine Cellar Designers Group, recently completed work on this modern glass wine closet. His client wanted wine storage that looked amazing, with a modern look that tied into the rest of his home. Steve was happy to comply with the request and the final product turned out absolutely beautiful. Keep reading to learn more about the design and build process for this stunning piece of functional art.

Modern Glass Wine Closet
 

Designing this Modern Glass Wine Closet

A beautiful home like this deserves an amazing wine closet.

The customer for this project is a builder that has worked with Steve many times in the past. He was building a new home and wanted a wine closet adjacent to the dining area and wanted something a little different from other designs he’d seen. Understanding a client’s wishes is a critical step in the design and build process, so many conversations were held before the design was finalized.

The main goal for this wine storage was not sheer volume. The owner wanted a conversation piece that looked fantastic and could hold a couple hundred bottles at most. He wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye and to spark conversation with visitors to the home. The home is very stylishly designed and decorated, and he also wanted the wine closet to match the modern look.

To achieve that goal, Steve decided to use a combination of metal racking, glass shelves, wood cabinetry, and a glass enclosure.

Choosing the Right Refrigeration System

This custom grille hides the fan coils built into the wine closet.

Great care must be taken when selecting the proper wine cellar cooling system. In hot climates, temperature and humidity must be monitored and controlled precisely. After calculating the square footage and bottle capacity, Steve chose a split system cooling unit. This type of unit has fan coils built into the wine closet and a condensing unit outside next to the air conditioner.

Split systems are very effective in maintaining temperature, and having the condenser outside allows for a quieter operation. The last thing the owner wanted was for noisy machinery to turn on during a meal and ruin the experience.

As aesthetics were a primary consideration, Steve and his team took care to hide unsightly machinery using a grille in the ceiling. This approach allows technicians to easily access the equipment for service and maintenance, and also maintains a clean and clutter-free appearance.

Wine Closet Storage Capacity

These VintageView racks were the perfect addition for this custom wine closet.

Even though this unit was constructed to be beautiful to look at, the customer still wanted to be able to store a number of wine bottles. VintageView’s triple-deep black satin metal wine racks were the perfect solution. These racks are very minimal, and make the bottles look like they are floating in air. The triple-deep configuration also allows for an impressive 220 bottle capacity.

There is also additional storage available using the glass shelves and wooden cabinetry.

Installing the glass shelves onto the mirrored tiles proved to be the largest challenge of this build process. The shelves needed to be securely anchored to be able to support heavy bottles, but also had to appear to float in midair in front of the mirrored backdrop. It was a new challenge for Steve and his team, but with clever engineering and expertise, they were able to accomplish what they were trying to do.

This wine closet looks beautiful with the modern design in this luxurious dining room.

Trim and Decoration for a Modern Glass Wine Closet

Steve needed to match the project to the rest of the house. The rest of the house featured stained white oak, so he used that wood for the flooring, wooden wall, and cabinetry, with different kinds of stains for contrast and beauty.

The mirrored tiles made a small space look more expansive, and draw the eye to the center of the closet at the head of the dining table. Dual-pane glass panels and door seal in the humidity and temperature while giving a clear view to the inside of the closet.

The shelves inside can hold additional bottles of wine or other spirits, or can be used to display personal touches such as art, collectibles, or wine accessories. Designing and building the wine closet is only the beginning. Now it’s up to the owners to make it their own and inject their own personality into this stunning conversation piece.

Lighting was fairly simple, since ambient light illuminates the closet by day, and only minimal light is needed at night. 2” can lights were recessed into the wood in the ceiling and can be controlled by a nearby dimmer switch. This setup allows the glass closet to be brightly or dimly lit, depending on the owners’ desires.

How long did the custom wine cellar take to design and build?

Control switches for temperature, humidity, and lighting in the modern wine closet.

The design for this cellar took about 2 weeks to complete, but many adjustments had to be made before construction began. The builder was making changes to the layout of the house as it was being built, and those changes had to be accommodated into the wine closet plans. Steve works very hard to communicate regularly with his clients, and as an expert in construction, he is easily able to accommodate new requests and adjustments as projects proceed.

Our members are experts in creating sunning works of functional art. Let’s see what we can put together for you!

Once construction began, it took approximately 6 weeks to complete the work.

What kind of maintenance is needed for a glass-enclosed wine closet like this one?

When a wine cellar is properly constructed, required maintenance is minimal. Like anything mechanical, however, wine cellar owners should have their equipment checked at least once a year by a trained professional. The construction of this wine storage system allows a technician to easily access all components of the cooling system in case of problems.

If the owner notices wide swings in temperature and humidity, a technician should be called immediately, but other than that, once a year is usually enough for proper care and maintenance.

I like this wine cellar! How can I get one?

Glass enclosed wine closets are a very popular addition to houses of many styles. Wine Cellar Designers Group members also specialize in creating wine storage units in many unconventional spaces, including spaces underneath stairs, hallways, empty walls, and nooks such as this one. With a creative approach and an eye for details, almost any space can be turned into a beautiful and functional piece of art like this modern glass wine closet.

If you like this wine closet and would like to talk to a professional about having something similar done in your home or business, we can help! Click here to request information or call the Wine Cellar Designers Group today at (702) 475-5399 or and we will connect you with an expert custom wine cellar designer and builder in your area. We love talking about our work and are happy to answer any questions you have as well as get you started with your own free 3d design based on your specifications.