My wife and I are going through that discussion again about staying in the house/not staying in the house, and we have started leaning back to staying. We like our place. Of course, she wants to gut the kitchen. Being the supreme negotiator that I am (sarcasm there), I lobby for a walk-in wine cellar off our breakfast/kitchen area. There happens to be a 6x6 walk-in closet there already. Perfect. Get it all done at once.
So, looking for a custom wine cellar designer and builder in FL and came across this company. I like some of the modern designs.
Any input on this company? Can anyone ballpark for me what type of budget I should have for something like this?
Have you done any preliminary planning? How many bottles do you want to store in that 6’ x 6’ space? Are you going for maximum storage or aesthetics? I can throw a hypothetical number out there considering that a KTR will be accomplishing all the work, I would assume you could do this project for somewhere around $20K to $25K. The space is 36 SF and this is a specialized room so I’d probably assume somewhere around $300 to $500 per square foot finished (by a contractor–KTR). If you did the work, $10K (ish). Disclaimer: I’m assuming you will be going fairly high end on racks and finish; this is just a wag. Please keep us in the loop if you move forward with this project, really interested in your design.
Thanks for the input, Rick. You pegged me, I’m more interested in the architectural design than the size/functionality of the storage itself. The link above has a project called “5. Contemporary, Miami Beach” that is exactly what I had in mind. Smaller, though, single glass door. If I get 400-500 bottles, I’m happy. Any extra off-site storage needed here in Orlando is cheap and very close by. I have to admit, my tastes usually out-strip my wallet. So we will see.
We started out by looking at manufactured racks, but as we asked around locally we found a builder who actually custom-built the racks for our cellar more cheaply than we could’ve bought prebuilt.
Hit Angie’s list, or ask around your wine shops or wine friends and you may be surprised by what you can do.
It boils down to how do you want the cellar to look? If you are fitting the cellar on your main floor off your kitchen in a high end home, you don’t want to cut corners, resale should play a role in the final design. The goal is matching quality and style to what is around it. I quoted that number unsure of what Roberts home looks like but I’ve caught glimpses of it in pictures he has posted. Depending on the materials he chooses (granite/marble/cherry/insulated glass panels or bargain grade materials), he could easily cut that price in half or more dependent on how much labor costs where he resides. The number may be on the high end (or not) but probably not by far. Take a look at the link he posted; craftsmanship like that doesn’t come cheap. The average kitchen renovation runs around $25K…on the low end.
Do it yourself or portions of it and save substantially. BTW, I hope I’m wrong; I have no idea how much homes or construction materials cost in FL. Bottom line is you have to gut the room, deal with any wiring/duct work/plumbing you didn’t plan on if it’s in the way. Then in no particular order: spray insulation, frame out for installation of cooling unit, rough in by electricians & HVAC. The walls or portions of them could receive stone, hardwood or green board? With a 6x6 room, he may choose to have his racking custom made with a centerpiece (modular unit)? Prices escalate fast!
Interesting comment, Paul, considering that you and I both know you would drop that on a fine abstract without blinking an eye! This build-out would be more about aesthetic than just simple storage.
Just went and formally measured the space, it’s 5.2 x 4.5. I have no clue how much wine that could hold, but the space does seem large. Have a kitchen designer coming out next week to start the discussion.
While the finishes are clearly the most expensive part, I have to believe you can find a contractor to strip the walls, put in a vapor barrier, insulation and new drywall and a floor for under $3,000. The door can be anywhere from $200 for s nice exterior dual glazed mostly glass door to $5,000 for ultra sleek frameless door any many choices in the middle. Racks for 500 bottles cannot exceed $3,000 for nice ones; cheaper certainly is available for under $1,500. And cooling and electrical should be no more than $3,000 and you can do it for half if you do an All-in-one instead of split system. Thus, from 6,000 on up can get a really nice room. And if you’re handy you could do the preliminary work yourself for under $1,000 in materials.
Robert,
How do you go about reselling a wine cellar?
I’ve bought and sold hundreds of paintings over the years for serious profits.
I just added a bedroom, bathroom and a two story stairwell by the sale of one painting (which I payed $8K for).
I can’t imagine what Items I could put in a 6’ X 6’ space that could total up to $20K+…
Angie’s List was very beneficial for me during a recent master bathroom renovation. Develop a list of questions to ask the contractors when you interview them. If you can find an honest one, you scored. Look at pictures of the prior renovations he did and call the home owners to find out more about the KTR. Biggest complaint is normally not showing up to work so the project drags out longer than anticipated. You pay for what you get so find someone with a proven track record that can be substantiated.
I put a wine cellar into my house last year and briefly thought about attaching it to the kitchen. I think the $20K estimate is about right to do it full contractor, none yourself, and some higher end materials. For those questioning the cost, I think if you go glass like the link you included, a really good glass door/wall is going to be quite expensive. I also assume that since this is off the breakfast area, you may have outside walls exposed to Florida sun. So there’s that to deal with from an insulation perspective. Obviously, if it’s connected to the kitchen (newly to be redone kitchen at that) you can’t scrimp here. I’d just go for it. Sorry can’t answer the original question, as I don’t know the company.
Having said all that, one thing to consider. We ended up deciding to go with a basement cellar rather than attaching to the kitchen, for two reasons. First, I would have had to knock down an exterior wall to add a room, which would have been very costly and is an issue you don’t have. Also, though, we decided that it might have ultimate negative resale value. While it could be a great selling point for someone, it could also be a negative for someone else. If you don’t drink wine, who wants a wine cellar staring them in the face in their kitchen every day. So if you do it, be prepared to have that issue if you later decide to move. BUT, I wouldn’t let it stop you, as it would look great and be convenient and (I assume) you don’t have the basement option in Florida.
Rick, that website is great for visuals! Lots of modern wine rooms and installations. Some cool kitchens, too. I think I’ll be spending hours on that site.
I am lucky as I have multiple options here. One is the conversion of the closet to a wine room. Another is build-ins as part of the kitchen cabinetry. And then our breakfast room has a 14 foot wall framed by another wall on one side and a 3-stub wall on the other, creating the dividing line to the kitchen. I could easily do a glass wall along that entire wall, or even lower level build-ins with bar, etc. on top. Lots to think about. I want to make it a visual experience. One of my wine fridges is in the mud room, where I could easily add more storage, but it’s no longer a visual, not part of the dine-in kitchen experience.
I may be misinterpreting Paul, but I believe his point is that if you spend that much on a small space, you’re not trying very hard to get a better price.
Some of the costs are fixed though no matter how big or small the space is. The racking and perhaps the insulation (if you go spray foam - it’s expensive) are the only variable costs. Framing lumber and drywall are cheap, but you’ll pay for labor by the job, not by square feet. The cooling unit costs $X until you get a much bigger room and a door is a door. $20-$25k for a custom space doesn’t blow me away at all.
Just received two quotes from contractors to convert two closets and an open space in between them into a 17 ft X 4 ft wine cellar. Not going to be anything too fancy as it’s strictly for storage but we’ll be putting in “nice” wine racks, cooling unit, LED lighting, insulated walls and tile floor but not much else. One came in at ~14K, the other ~22K (nicer wood for the racks). Hope this helps.