Cellar Showcase // Wine Cellar – Barn Conversion in Tunbridge Wells

The latest Cellar Maison design and installation has been a dramatic transformation of a space previously under utilised, into something truly magnificent.

A former barn on our client’s property, lent itself perfectly to a large scale, highly functional and elegantly appointed walk-in Wine Cellar. The space, previously used to park vehicles in, had to first be thoroughly assessed by one of our Design Team and one of our specialist Project Managers.

“The creative process is just as important as the technical details,” says Simon Coombs, Cellar Maison’s Client Consultant.

“Bringing our client’s dream to life, meant we wanted to gain a full understanding of their existing wine collection and how this may evolve over time. We also needed to discuss aesthetics, style preferences, colours, textures, materials and operational aspects of their new Wine Cellar.”
– Simon Coombs

In order to create an adequate ‘shell’ structure to support Cellar Maison’s temperature and humidity controlled installation, additional thermal insulation and a vapour barrier were required. Detailed initial planning and step by step progression is essential to ensure technical specifications are completed correctly and to the highest standard. In this cellar for example, early stage additional services were also installed including water supply, drainage and power.

Our client’s impressive existing wine collection includes many 3 litre ‘Jeroboams’ and 6 litre ‘Methuselah’ bottles. This meant that storage and display needed to provide appropriate space for these, as well as Champagne and standard sized bottle cellaring.

“Dedicated areas for wine tasting and entertaining features also needed to be incorporated therefore our consultation is very much around lifestyle and end user experience too,” Simon explains.

The construction, including exposed solid wood beams in the open pitched white ceiling, adds warmth alongside the oak joinery, and serves to retain the classic barn-like feel. The concealed LED in-joinery lighting and thoughtfully positioned LED directional spot lighting focuses attention on the bottle displays lining each wall.

A large glazed, thermally insulated viewing partition separates the cellar from the main house and makes a visually enticing entrance. Wine should be kept between 12-15 degrees Celsius for safe, long term storage.

At a capacity of over 2000 bottles, the Wine Cellar still leaves plenty of room for a tasting table and chairs so that guests can enjoy an ambient evening – perhaps by candlelight, to dine and drink selected wine from this truly unique, stunning home wine cellar.

Cellar Summary:

  • Barn conversion to Wine Cellar – space previously used for parking
  • Fully humidity and temperature controlled room created for optimal wine storage
  • Tailored design for client’s personal collection
  • Capacity of over 2000 bottles
  • Tasting table and entertaining space to be incorporated within
  • Thermally insulated viewing doors adjoining house living space
  • Concealed LED lighting incorporated to showcase bottles within the cellar
  • Solid timber beams, oak joinery, white walls and flagstone flooring
  • Fully bespoke design and installation by the Cellar Maison specialised team

To achieve a technically advanced and visually beautiful space is an essential combination in all Cellar Maison’s Wine Cellars, Wine Walls and Wine Pods.

To inquire about your own space, ideas for a cellar or dream wine cellar, please contact Simon Coombs, Client Consultant, or Andrew Speer, Director of Cellar Maison for initial questions or a tailored consultation.

*Do try out some initial designs and planning on our unique Online Design Planner where you can add your own specifications and create designs.