Innovative Wine Cellar Designs lives up to its name, as its high standards for quality and attention to detail have been unsurpassed since 2002.
“We were one of the first companies in the country to move from traditional wood wine cellars to a more contemporary look, and we continue to develop new products along those lines,” owner Sandy Horowitz says.
With a background in the closet industry, Sandy tapped into the wine cellar business in its infancy.
“I contacted some of the architects, interior designer and custom home builders that I had developed relationships with while at California Closets. Custom wine cellars were a new concept, but they were willing to take a chance with me and we started adding them into some of the homes that they were designing and building.”
Now more than a trend, wine cellars are adding a touch of sophistication to custom homes. And while these cellars serve a purpose, they have become artistic in nature as well.
“The most popular looks in wine cellars out west are sleek enclosures of glass with the racking made of metal, glass, acrylic, aluminum and stainless steel cable. The newest look is what we refer to as ‘label forward’ (where the bottles are displayed horizontally so the label can be easily read rather than the front-to-back storage that was previously the only option,” Sandy says.
Finding the perfect bottle easily and efficiently was an issue Sandy solved with the new design elements, and he is currently working with manufacturers in Europe in changing the look of wine cellars to further create custom spaces for clients.
Sandy takes pride in each unique design and describes the importance of convenience and luxury when he designed his own cellar.
“My cellar is built from All Heart Redwood and stores approximately 700 bottles," he says. "It has a hidden door that goes into an office behind the wine cellar. The rack on the back right actually has hinges that hold the door. Once closed, you can’t tell that there is a door there. It is designed with diamond cubes above the opening that displays a contemporary piece of art, has a frosted glass countertop with larger diamond bins below and is finished with frameless glass doors and a black honed slate floor."
Some other structural decisions include reclaimed wine barrel racking, brick flooring, herringbone wood ceilings and space for wood cases, large-format bottles and wine glasses (as seen in the Bancroft photo).
“The Harper has rolled steel on the back wall and the front and sides of the soffit," Sandy says. "The cellar consists of brushed nickel label-forward racking that holds three bottles deep. The racking below is acrylic panels with stainless steel rods. In the center, there is a cigar humidor with glass front and top."
The Desert Mountain home cellar has diverse elements including brushed metal racking with bottles laying horizontally but placed with bottles front to back. This cellar is larger, with an 800-bottle capacity and is the focal point of the home with the opposite side facing the kitchen.
Innovative Wine Cellar Designs has always been a leader in wine cellar concepts and continues to bring elegance and functional allure to each cellar they design. For more information, visit WineCellarDesigns.biz.
