“The Wine Wall” is an affectionate name for a space in our home that we transformed from an otherwise useless space into an area to store wine. Here’s how we did it!
Several years ago, my husband and I built our home. We weren’t sure of how we wanted to finish the basement at the time, so we left it a blank slate. However, we did have the builder finish the walls and flooring on the stairs that lead to the basement. The “drywalled shelf” half way down the stairs was quite boring. It was home to a lone wall sconce and little else. This space was otherwise dead space and a long weekend project made it into a conversation piece for all who enter our home.
Using this space to store wine will not necessarily work for everyone. The first thing we did when we decided to embark on this potential project was leave a thermometer in the area for several weeks. As this is an outside wall, we wanted to ensure that it did not get too much sun, heating the space too much and in turn, spoiling the wine.
Demolition & Prepping the Space:
The construction process began with removing the wall sconce. We then began tearing out the sheetrock (this is an intensely dusty project!). We reinforced studs where the wine racks would be drilled into and replaced the removed sheetrock with plywood (again, reinforcements).
Pro tip: When removing the sheetrock, I peeled some of the painted paper off. Paint manufacturers reformulate every so often and I wanted to be able to exactly match the color in my home when I went to buy a quart for future touchups.
Lighting:
We decided to install flush-mounted LED pot lights above where the racks would be to highlight the area. These lights absolutely need to be LEDs because they do not heat up, and in turn, do not heat the wine bottles. There was already electricity to the switch we wanted from the previously mounted wall sconce.
The Backdrop:
We were able to find a great tile from Home Depot that was neutral, yet slightly iridescent (note: our tile has since been discontinued).
Choosing tile was a bit challenging as some tiles tend to make our taupe walls look more green. I also didn’t want something that was very expensive as most of it wouldn’t be visible behind all of the wine bottles. I chose a slightly off-white grout and brushed steel schluter (to match the wine racks). This installation was like tiling a giant backsplash.
The Wine Racks:
We chose Vintage-View Wall-Mounted Wine Racks in brushed steel. They come in various dimensions and depths so they can be customized for your space. Our space allowed us to do 12 bottles high x 6 bottles wide x 1 bottle deep with appropriate spacing. In total, the space holds 72 bottles or 6 full cases of wine.
The Wine:
Putting the wine onto the racks is definitely the fun part. With 6 columns, I was able to decide if I wanted to divide the wine by region, varietal, etc. I find this is a great way to cellar and display wines. I love that this wall is now an accent in our home as well as a functional storage area.
NOTE: This project is straightforward and easy to do if you have the right tools and knowledge. If you aren’t certain about doing some aspects yourself (especially electrical work or tiling), there’s no shame in calling in a professional!
