Meredith Kaltenecker
After adventuring through Italy, gallivanting in France and enjoying the Californian sun, local homeowners Lisa and Larry Copeland knew they needed a proper room to store their diverse wine collection.
“Inspiration came from these trips,” Lisa says.
The duo was not interested in creating an old-world aesthetic – a chilled basement, rocky walls and low lighting was out of the picture. Instead, they wanted something bright and modern, and the space right off their dining room was the perfect spot.
J.S. Brown & Co. ran with the couple’s inspiration and created a space that deserves a toast. The room isn’t just aesthetically pleasing with its crystal halo chandelier, wooden cabinets, ladder, and beautiful tile floors, it’s also the perfect temperature.
Since the room is on the first floor of a ranch, the space was susceptible to heat and cold from the attic, nearby garage and the living spaces, and extra moisture in the air could affect the wine quality. J.S. Brown didn’t let this challenge hinder the design, they included vapor barriers, moisture resistant materials, and refrigeration and humidifying units located beyond the room to reduce vibration and noise.
“Mechanically, wine rooms are very complex – the temperature and humidity needs to be carefully controlled and we want to minimize vibration,” says Monica Lewis, vice president of operations at J.S. Brown.
Meredith Kaltenecker
Lewis says another challenge arose since the wine room sits lower than the adjacent rooms. Instead of completely raising the space, the team raised it slightly and added two wooden steps which match steps in a nearby room.
With a room like this, it’s hard to pinpoint a favorite aspect. Lewis says Lisa fell in love with the hexagonal ceiling tile, so they used the surface as inspiration for all the design decisions. Larry finds the technological qualities fascinating, saying the electronic blinds on the glass is his favorite part. And even though Lisa loves the details, she truly loves what the room provides.
“My favorite parts are the finishes, the history and memories, and sharing the room and wines with our family and friends,” she says.
Meredith Kaltenecker
Lydia Freudenberg is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
