How to Build a Wine Closet: Part 2
The first half of this article can be found here.
Now that we've cleaned out the closet, upgraded the flooring and/or wiring (if applicable), and taken care of the door, it's time to paint and install the rack.
Step 5: Paint
I recommend that you paint the walls a dark color. I chose Wine Barrel by Behr in a flat enamel. If you want to get fancy, you can try a faux finish or wallpaper in a brick or stone print. I also painted the base molding in the same color. Don't forget to paint the ceiling.
Step 6: Install the Rack
I bought my rack from Apex Wine Cellars. Select the 7' modular racks and pick a design the you like, keeping in mind the width of your closet. You can use Apex's Design Wizard to help you with the layout. The module that I chose left about 2 1/2 " of space between the walls and the rack. I also purchased two 7' sections of 1" X 4" trim (in the same type of wood as the rack) for each side of the rack to make it fit flush against both side walls. If you are a Costco member, you may be able to purchase your 7' module from costco.com for about a 5% discount. Shipping is included whether you bought the rack from Costco or directly from Apex. The benefit of purchasing through costco.com (aside from the discount) is that you can return the rack to any Costco if you are not happy with it. The rack and molding arrived at my house about 10 days after I placed the order. The rack is assembled with small finishing nails and then screwed to the back wall. All nails and screws are included in the box. If you have a nail gun, you will save some time- I believe there were about 90 nails. The rack that I chose has to be assembled in the closet because it would not fit through the door fully assembled. Once the rack was assembled and screwed into the back wall, I measure the gaps between the rack and each side wall. Then I used a table saw to rip the two pieces of trim that I purchased from Apex. Finally, I nailed the trim to fill the gaps. This is completely optional, but I think that it provides a much more finished look.
Step 7: Add Trim
I painted the base molding the same color as the wall. I cut pieces of molding to fit around the rack along the base of the wall. If you never removed the base molding but want to install the trim that I used in the previous step, you can simply use a coping saw to cut out the profile of the base molding.
Step 8: Lighting
I already had an overhead light in the closet. However, I bought an 18' section of rope lighting for $10 from Home Depot (the rope lighting comes with mounting hardware). Then I installed the rope lighting along the inside of the front wall so that it is hidden. Both the overhead light and the rope lighting each provide adequate light, but I think that the rope lighting provides a more uniform distribution of light. So there you have it- a do-it-yourself wine closet for around $500. Here are some pictures of my completed project.
Good Luck!
Jon
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[...] Part 2 of this article, we select and install the rack, add finishing touches, and I'll post pictures [...]