A Wine Connoisseur’s Idea of a Basement Entertainment Room

Wine is one of the few things in life that improves with age.

But it can also rapidly deteriorate. The three factors that have the most direct impact on a wine’s condition are light, humidity and temperature. Because wine can often be expensive and often appreciate in value, security is another issue.

This basement-remodeling project began with ensuring the quality and security of the owner’s wine collection. Even more important, the remodeled basement had to become an inviting place for entertaining family and friends.

A wet bar/entertainment area became the centerpiece of the design. Cherry wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances complement the counter tops, which are made with a special composite material and designed for bar glassware – softer to the touch than granite.

Unused space below the stairway was turned into a secure wine storage room, and another cherry wood cabinet holds 300 bottles of wine in a humidity and temperature controlled refrigeration unit.

The basement remodeling project also includes an entertainment center and cozy fireplace. The basement-turned-entertainment room is controlled with a two-zone heating system to moderate both temperature and humidity.

To infuse a nautical theme a custom stairway post was created to simulate the mast from a 1905 vintage sailboat. The mast/post was hand-crafted from mahogany and steel banding.