Wine cellar design works when the cellar is conceived with the building. Added once the house is finished, a home wine cellar usually remains a compromise: a leftover room, a noisy cooling unit, a wall that condenses. Considered from the first drawings, it becomes a controlled environment and, where the client wishes, a room that belongs to daily life.
Federico Cappellina Architects treats the cellar like any other space in a residence: starting from the site, the light and the way the client intends to use it.
Storage room or room on display
The first decision concerns use. A cellar intended only for storage can sit in a windowless basement room, where stable conditions matter more than appearance. A cellar on display, glazed towards the living area or connected to a tasting room, poses a harder problem: it must hold a climate different from the room next to it.
These two choices lead to different projects in position, size, insulation and services. The question belongs at the start, with the number of bottles and the intended storage time.
At AV Home the cellar sits within the kitchen: full-height dark glass between two timber panels shows it without opening it to the light and heat of the room.
Temperature and humidity in wine cellar design
Wine asks for stability more than for one exact figure. Liebherr (in Italian) gives ideal storage at 10–12 °C with relative humidity between 50% and 80%; the Italian consumer association Altroconsumo gives constant humidity of 60–70%, up to a maximum of 75%, with good ventilation to prevent mould. Air that is too dry harms the cork; air that is too damp encourages mould.
These are starting values, to be set with the mechanical engineer according to the local climate and the type of wine.
Where to place a home wine cellar
A basement is the most favourable position: the ground dampens temperature swings and the room sits away from direct light. Being underground is not enough, however. Retaining walls, rising damp and the proximity of boiler rooms, laundries or other sources of heat and vibration all need checking.
Where a house has no basement, the cellar can occupy an internal ground-floor room, provided it is separated from exposed façades and sized for a suitable cooling system.
Wine cellar design: insulation and vapour barrier
This is where the most expensive mistakes are made, because they stay hidden inside the walls. A cellar holds more humidity than the rest of the house, and vapour migrates towards warmer, drier spaces. Without a continuous vapour barrier on the warm side of the insulation, condensation forms inside the wall. The result is mould, degraded materials and a cooling unit that has to work harder.
This applies to walls, ceiling and floor, and to the door, which must be insulated and sealed. The detail belongs in the construction drawings and should be inspected on site before the walls are closed.
Wine cellar design: cooling, ventilation and noise
A climate-controlled cellar needs a dedicated system, separate from that of the house. The design must establish from the outset where the unit sits, how condensate is drained and where heat is rejected. Vibration should be kept away from the bottles. Grilles, machines and ducts should be integrated into the architecture rather than concealed at the last moment.
Light and materials in wine cellar design
Wine dislikes strong light. In cellars on display, sources with low heat output are used, switched on only when needed, with the beam directed at the architecture rather than the bottles, a subject developed in the page on architectural lighting design. Materials must withstand a damp environment over time and follow the same logic as the rest of the house.
Companies for wine storage
In the studio’s brand database, wine storage belongs with kitchen appliances. Four companies in the database have built-in wine cabinets with adjustable temperature in their catalogues:
- Gaggenau: the Vario 400 series, built-in wine climate cabinets with up to three temperature zones, UV-filtering glass and an activated charcoal filter.
- Miele: built-in wine units (in Italian) for 45, 88 and 178 cm niches, with separately adjustable zones.
- Sub-Zero: the Wine Storage line.
- Fhiaba: built-in and undercounter wine cellars with two temperature zones and UV-shielding glass.
These are built-in appliances, suited to collections from a few dozen to about a hundred bottles according to the manufacturers’ data consulted on 31 October 2026. A larger cellar, conditioned as a room, needs the dedicated system described above. The features of each model should be checked on the official data sheets.
Wine cellar design: frequently asked questions
How much space does a wine cellar need?
It depends on the number of bottles, the racking and the room needed to move around. Size is defined once capacity and use are established.
Can a wine cellar be added to an existing house?
Yes, if the room allows for insulation, a vapour barrier and cooling. This has to be checked on site, particularly the moisture in the walls.
Does a wine cellar always need cooling?
Not always. A basement with stable conditions may need limited work. The answer comes from measuring the room through the year.
When should a wine cellar enter the design of a villa?
At concept stage, because it affects services, wall build-ups and ceiling heights.
Further reading
See modern villa design in Italy, spa design for private villas and architect fees for a villa in Italy. To discuss a cellar within a residential project, write to the studio from the Contact page.
Sources: Liebherr, Altroconsumo. Consulted 31 October 2026.
