The initial stages of designing your wine cellar solution can seem a little daunting. We can usually imagine how we want our wine walls, cellars or pods to look, but with countless fixtures, lighting choices and finishes, it can become overwhelming.

What would your wine wall be finished with? Metal? Stone? Lacquer? Crystals? This blog will look at one of our most popular finishes, wood, and the many unique styles and possibilities you can create with this truly versatile material and the great designers out there using this material in their craft.

This year’s trend in design is the use of natural materials in response to the anxiety of our global future, how we treat our planet and the over consumption of materials. The rising interest in quality hand crafted design is a manifestation of our collective concern around the impact of mass manufacture. High quality design that stands the test of time is essential to prevent over consumption and wasted materials.

This year’s trend was evident at Milan design week where several designers presented innovative ways of manipulating wood to exaggerate its natural beauty and show its potential in furniture design.

One designer, Lisa Ertel, sandblasted Dune furniture to remove its softer outer layer, exposing the rings underneath, showing the materials age. I think that this process creates exquisite furniture that emphasizing the woods beauty, but it also creates the link between design and consumption. By exposing the rings of wood, you can literally see the years of time it has taken for this material to grown before being used for these elegant pieces of furniture.\r\n\r\nYou can see the full article on Dezeen here.

Another example, also showcased at Milan design week, comes from furniture brand Ercol. This year they presented new ranges from their Marino chair and sofa range which incorporates a steam bent frame.

These eye-catching frames are developed using a traditional technique called steam bending, a clean, efficient and eco-friendly process that is used to manipulate wood that would otherwise seem impossible. By boiling the wood, the cellular structure is weakened allowing designers to create curved shapes, before the material returns to its rigid form. The expert technique and craftsmanship that is used in this age-old technique creates truly bespoke furniture that is the true definition of luxury. It is one of the many techniques and processes that have been developed to manipulate wood to do amazing things.

The full article for Ercols’ ranges that were exhibited at Milan design week can be seen on Dezeen following this link.

Artists Richard Deacon’s ‘Restless’ sculpture was exhibited at the Tate in 2005 and is an example of how the steam bending technique can be used in sculptural art.

Another artist who captures the raw beauty and tests the limits of wood material is Nic Webb, a sculptor who uses wood and clay to express human interaction. On his website, he explains his craft by saying ‘Human making is delicately bound to the materials of the natural world. As we interact with our surroundings we realise and learn of this interconnection. As makers, we are able to explore our world and express our thoughts freely.’

Four Found Forms – Fir Lemon Birch and clay

Nic’s sculptures tests the limits of wood, and he often singes the material which creates a beautiful contrast as well as exposing the materials flexibility and durability. His website can be found here for images of his experimental work and dates for his workshops, should you wish to give this process a try!

At Cellar Maison, our luxury wine cellars, walls and pods are designed to suit your needs. Every detail is considered making your final design truly bespoke. Our managing director Andrew Speer has a background in the bespoke luxury furniture design field and after beginning his career as a master cabinet-maker, he has over 20 years experience working with joinery and is able to offer sound advice and suggestions to the finish that would work for you.

This luxurious under stairs wine wall has just been designed and installed in South London by Cellar Maison and can be seen on our blog. It is a perfect example of how expertly crafted bespoke joinery can transform any space. The light oak that has been used in this project keeps the under stairs area feeling not only bright and spacious, but also warm and inviting because of the beautiful light wash emitted from the concealed lighting elements.\r\n\r\n

If you are looking for more inspiration, other projects can be seen in our full gallery including this dark and beautifully lit wine cellar in Surrey which uses Grey washed oak. This 1200 bottle capacity cellar draws you in first with its back-lit acrylic panel, then invites you to stay with its luxurious attention to detail and expert craftsmanship.

The designers at Cellar Maison can suggest many wood finishes from our extensive sample library to suit your space. We can also match your finish to existing joinery in your space, creating a truly bespoke and individual look within your home.

Whether you decide on a cellar, wine pod or wine wall from Cellar Maison, you are not only choosing a beautiful storage system to showcase your collection, you are choosing a company that pride themselves on quality, service and experience to give you the best possible design for your space.