There may come a time when the humble wine rack isn’t enough, and your wine and champagne collection merits a more sizeable part of your home. Don’t be misled by the term wine cellar – spaces that can be converted into custom-made contemporary wine storage areas can range from an entire room to a larder, basement or even a trapdoor in your kitchen floor. Consult a wine cellar specialist when putting together your contemporary wine cellar design for expert advice on the right conditions comprising proper insulation, lighting and temperature which are imperative for wine storage and preserving your fragile wines. Some designers will offer end-to-end product management, whereas others will simply offer advice and plans, requiring separate builders. Consider the professional help you’ll require based on the scale of your wine cellar design or conversion.

When should I upgrade from a wine rack to a contemporary wine cellar?

If you take wine seriously, a purpose-built cellar is a worthwhile investment. Your own wine cellar affords you the opportunity to age young vintage wines at home, as well as exponentially increasing capacity for wine storage. As well as storing and protecting it, a great wine cellar design will also showcase your wines and make your collection organised and easily accessible. Even a wine cooler is a serious upgrade from a regular fridge, built to cancel vibrations which are detrimental to wine.

How do I create the right environment to store red wine?

There are many factors involved in creating the optimum conditions for wine storage, so fine-tuning your contemporary wine cellar design is a delicate exercise best left to the pros. A custom-built wine cellar will have temperature and humidity controls to maintain a constantly perfect atmosphere, and be insulated with shock absorbing materials throughout. To mitigate the stuffy conditions of a cellar, it is also important to have a source of ventilation which circulates air to keep the room fresh. Your wine cellar design specialist or architect can help you create the ideal conditions for your home collection.

How should I decorate my wine cellar?

Although mediterranean wine cellars are common, changing up the decor is an easy way to create your contemporary wine cellar design. Ornate wood and stone are common traditional materials, while metal and glass finishes are more trendy. You can immerse yourself in Italian culture with mosaic tile murals, barrel ceilings and archways, or you can go modern with sleek lines and minimal decorative displays. Regardless of your style, be sure all your wine storage materials, furniture and decorative accessories support each other; a mismatched space can lead to decor confusion and an incoherent, incomplete wine cellar.

Take a look through the wine cellar photos and wine storage ideas on Houzz to give you inspiration for your own wine cellar design.

Whether you want inspiration for planning a contemporary wine cellar renovation or are building a designer wine cellar from scratch, Houzz has 2,681 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including Stone Cellar Company and Bagnato Architecture & Interiors. Look through wine cellar photos in different colours and styles and when you find a contemporary wine cellar design that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made it happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. Explore the beautiful contemporary wine cellar ideas photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.