Choosing the right kind of wood for your custom wine cellar.
One of the most exciting things about being able to build a custom wine cellar is the ability to design it to be just the way you want it.
Traditional, contemporary or transitional in style, climate control options, lighting and much more are all as customizable as you want, limited only by your imagination. One of those choices is the wood used in the wine cellar. Below are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the right kind of wood for your custom wine cellar.
06/12/2020
Know what your wood options are.
There are many different kinds of woods that can be used for construction, but not all are suitable for use in a wine room, so it’s important to understand your options to be able to pick the right wood.
A few woods typically used in custom wine rooms include Solid Walnut, Redwood, Mahogany, Oak, or Alder to name a few. Pine is sometimes used as well. So what is the difference between all these woods?
Usually, aside from appearance, the difference has to do with how durable the wood is, how resilient it is to temperatures typical in a wine cellar. Some woods are easier to work with from a construction standpoint, and of course, as mentioned before, the grain pattern in different woods can be significant. As you work with a professional wine cellar designer, be sure to ask which is appropriate for what you’re envisioning in your wine cellar.
Keep your wine cellar style in mind as you choose a wood.
Although any of the above mentioned woods can be quite stunning, some are better suited for certain styles of wine rooms. For example, rich, deeper colored woods tend to lend to the style of more traditional wine rooms while lighter colored woods lend themselves to transitional or even some more modern wine rooms.
Mahogany is more often used in a traditional wine cellars. It’s reddish brown hue and consistent grain give it a very traditional and classic look.
For those who are looking to go neither traditional or modern, transitional wine cellar designs leave options wide open by allowing any kind of wood to be incorporate. Keep in mind that more than one kind of wood can be used as well, as some people opt for a different wood for the wine racks or for accent wood barrels.
Understand the difference in costs.
Just like all woods are not the same, neither are the costs of using them in creating a wine cellar. One question every client asks is “how much does it cost to build a wine cellar?” Most certainly, part of that answer is based on the wood used.
Mahogany is a sturdy wood, but can impact the price while a wood like pine is less expensive. Walnut is also a hardy wood that can impact the price of the project.
Consider going with the grain.
Since many of the woods mentioned offer a good amount of flexibility in stain finishes, one item you may want to look at is the grain style for each wood. Some wood varieties have a very fine grain, while others have a more pronounced grain.
The difference can give the wood a more rustic look, or a cleaner, consistent, subtle look. Again, since you can use more than one grain in your wine room, keep an open mind with wine cellar options.
If you’re still unsure about which type of wood you should use in your custom wine cellar, take the time to review photos of wine cellars to get a better idea of how each wood looks in the completed wine room. Choose your style, understand the costs and durability of each type of wood, and decide which will work best for you.
