Exclusively British Magazine is a high-end UK magazine focused on the height of luxury, style and the latest design trends. Cellar Maison are in the current issue with a Q&A with Managing Director, Andrew Speer.
Here you can see the full Q&A for Exclusively British Magazine – Very much relevant for anyone wishing to install a wine cellar in their new or existing house or apartment.
Is there a trend for installing bespoke wine cellars currently in Britain?
Andrew: Yes, last year and during the course of 2015, we have we noticed at least a 30% increase in the number of enquiries from architects, developers and home owners looking for climate controlled wine cellars, wine walls and wine rooms. People want to have that special addition to their home – A wine cellar that is visually stunning, and stores their wine collection safely.
Our typical clients have a real passion for fine wine and food and simply enjoy collecting wine and having access to it for dinners and tastings with friends.
Are owners choosing to take out existing wine storage and install a more sophisticated solution?
Andrew: Definitely, we remove many existing wine storage racks to replace with our bespoke installations. Unfortunately many wine racks neglect the essential elements of climate control, humidity regulation and design aesthetics. All our cellars, wine walls and wine pods come with these components, as well as specialised lighting for display. We’ve also found that many wine lovers and investors who have previously kept their collections in bonded storage, are now wanting a bespoke wine cellar. They value and understand their wine and like to bring the mature ‘ready to drink’ wines home. Creating a unique environment for wine within their property allows them to appreciate their collection on a daily basis, it becomes a talking point when entertaining guests at home.
Do your clients perceive that having a bespoke wine cellar will add value to their property?
Andrew: We are working with high end property developers who, based on consumer research, are now incorporating a wine cellar or feature wine wall into their luxury new-build residential properties. This is a growing trend and I am confident that within the next decade, a climate controlled wine storage cellar or wall will become as common as a home theatre or a well-appointed kitchen is now in prime residences. The wine and food culture of Britain continues to evolve so rapidly.
Currently what are the most popular styles and features requested by your clients?
Andrew: Both our contemporary Wine Pods and our Wine Walls are proving to be in high demand. Walk-in Wine Pods are our most innovative signature cellar. They beautifully enclose a corner or section of a room in a specialised frameless glass “pod” and can be created with either a curved or square glass enclosure. They are sleek, visually stunning and allow optimum viewing of wine from outside, whilst maintaining the perfect storage conditions within. Wine Walls have the advantage of taking up very little floor space since they are fitted along an existing wall. The LED back-lighting is colour changeable to suit the individual style of the home. Our full Wine Cellar option is perfect when people have a whole room or large cupboard space to convert to a cellar.
How does it work when a home owner or designer want to find out more about your wine cellars?
Andrew: We offer innovative solutions that no other wine cellar company can provide, including a bespoke customer service. We have a team of consultants, designers, glass and refrigerator experts who work together to support home owners, high-end developers.
A new feature on our website we’re very pleased with is our Online Design Planner, it allows people to play with the styles and dimensions themselves or with the support of our consultants.
What size or bottle capacity can your cellar solutions house?
Andrew: It’s really unlimited in scope. Materials, features and dimensions are fully customisable and start with choosing from our three signature cellar designs. We are currently working on a 6m x 6m walk-in cellar to hold up to 2000 bottles; this is in a contemporary style with bronze metal-framed glass doors. Some of our smaller cellars, pods or walls can store as few as 200 bottles.
How was Cellar Maison born?
Andrew: Having been immersed in the bespoke furniture industry for 20 years, developing sound experience in the property market, the trade professionals I worked with identified a growing demand for a niche wine cellar specialist. Selecting a team of experts including a refrigeration engineer, architectural glass specialist, designer and joiner, Cellar Maison was formed.
I am a wine lover but I still have a lot to learn about viticulture. I grew up in the Marlborough region in New Zealand and this is the environment I was raised in. I wanted to get into the wine cellaring business because of personal interest and to support the huge cultural change that is happening in Britain with wine collection and investment.
Cellar Maison was inspired by acknowledging the French wine cave – paying homage to this ancient concept and combining it with modern technology.
Interior designers, property developers and architects work along side us with their home-owner clients too so that the whole process is professional and smooth. If you have a home and would like to look at our three signature cellar solutions, Wine Cellars, Wine Walls and Wine Pods, you can try our unique Online Design Planner giving you the chance to play around with design and dimensions online.
