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Los Angeles Designs Residential Custom Wine Cellars – Niche Transformation

Culver City is a residential area located near the Los Angeles Airport. Many of the most popular entertainment conglomerates in the country like MGM, NPR, and NFL enjoyed their start in this city. So, it’s not hyperbole to say that this is a town that is rife with possibilities. No one demonstrates this idea better than its beloved residents.

Curious as it may sound, this go-getter mentality of Culver City residents also showed up in one of the recent projects we completed for a client there. In particular, it shows how a messy kitchen niche can be transformed into a beautiful custom wine cellar that any homeowner can be proud of. Read below to see how our team at Coastal Custom Wine Cellars were able to pull off this daring project.

Main Features

The niche before the transformation into a climate controlled wine cellar – Culver City Los Angeles project

• 7’ Wide x 2’ Deep x 8’ Residential Enclosure
• 632 Bottle Wine Cellar Capacity
• Custom Designed Premium Redwood (unfinished) wine racks
• Upper Racks are Single Deep Individual Bottle Storage Openings with High-Reveal Display Rows
• Individual Bottle Openings measuring approximately 3 ¾” x 3 ¾” inside dimension. Also fits standard Champagne and Oregon Pinot Style bottles as well as most every Syrah and Zinfandels on the market.
• Label-Forward Horizontal Display Rows for 750 ml and 1.5L bottles
• Lower Racks are Double Deep Square Bins for bulk storage and Individual Bottle Storage Openings (750ml openings)
• Double Deep Premium Redwood Tabletop with a lacquer finish to protect the wood from spills and scuffs
• Base and Crown Moldings
• Self-Contained Top Vent Cooling Unit via CellarPro Model 1800
• Pair of Barolo Style Dual Pane Glass Doors. Alder with Rustic Stain
• Contractor Services by Beym Home Improvements

The owners of the Culver City home we worked in, Erin and Rob, contacted us to inquire about the possibility of transforming a small niche of their house into a climate-controlled wine cellar. The space was positioned just outside their kitchen and adjacent to the dining room table into a climate-controlled wine cellar.

Although this conversion was doable, the preparation for it was certainly difficult. Electrical outlets had to be rerouted, the walls had to be prepped for refrigeration, and the pantry at the back wall also had to be accounted for. The team started planning in May 2015, and they only had a few months to complete the project. The pressure was on!

The Preparation for The Area

Front Elevation design drawing of the niche transformation wine cellar project

The first step for the project was to demo the existing wall coverings. This was important since this would determine the viability of the self-contained cooling unit that would be installed in the area. In particular, the team had to make sure that all the walls and ceiling were properly sealed so that the resulting enclosure would be air-tight and well-insulated.

As you can see in the picture posted above, we created a three-dimensional design package that consisted of multiple pages. All was agreed with the client, and the Coastal team set out to install for the plan.

One of the more important facets for the plan was to determine how many wine bottles the wine rack could hold. Since the clients had a collection of 632 bottles of varying sizes, the team decided that the enclosure should measure over seven feet wide with a width of 25 inches deep.

In addition, the team had figured out a way to extend the walls of the niche by adding a double-bored frame that would widen the area, creating a greater ease of movement in the wine cellar. The flooring, on the other hand, was perfect as it was.

Wine Cellar Cooling – Residential Installation

Wine Cellar Cooling – Residential Installation – Self-Contained Top Vent Cooling Unit – CellarPro Model 1800

Any wine enthusiast worth his or her salt would know how important cooling is for the preservation of wine. Since the niche the team was working on was spatially limiting, they carefully deliberated on the cooling product that should be used for the area. The team eventually proposed to the clients the CellarPro 1800 model, a portable refrigerating unit that was so small that it was able to be mounted thru the wall via a square opening, and with its back facing the pantry.

It actually turned out to be a good arrangement since the pantry served as the source for the fresh air and the hot air, in turn, was exhausted to the space above the cellar. Just to make sure that the entire cellar would turn out to be really beautiful, lighting was added on the display row. This simple emphatic action allowed the label-forward bottles to “pop” out.

Hard Work Paid Off

Erin and Rob had acquired the tailored room that should propel them to the “A” list of custom Los Angeles residential wine cellars. The entire project was completed in August 2015, and the clients were completely satisfied with what the team did.

If you wish for your home to also avail of the same services, you would be delighted to know that we offer complimentary 3D design services and consultation. You could also visit www.winecellarsbycoastal.com to view more of our services, or call us direct at +1 (949) 200-8134.

Niche Transformation Complete – Los Angeles Residential Wine Cellars

This plan view helps to show how little space this wine cellar takes up in the home.

Niche Transformation 3D Drawing – Los Angeles Residential Wine Cellars