This Small Closet Lacked Purpose — Until It Became a French-Inspired Wine Room

Originally, the closet had a heavy metal door that added to the awkwardness of the space. The clients had used it to store some wine, but the layout and finishes didn’t communicate that function or give it a sense of purpose. 

Turning to Becca and her team, their “goal was to capture the warmth and atmosphere of that French restaurant while making the room genuinely functional for the way our clients collect, store, and serve wine,” she says. 

But since the closet was only 21 square feet, every inch needed to be maximized and “every element had to earn its place.”

The renovation was straightforward since it didn’t require any major changes due to the room’s small size. Instead of starting with steps like demolition or adding plumbing, Becca began by adding wallpaper from Wells Abbott to the right wall and color-drenching the rest of the space in Farrow & Ball’s “Eating Room Red.” The custom cabinetry and beadboard accent wall were painted the same deep red paint. 

“We knew we wanted to have fun with the space and make it feel defined from the rest of the home, so we leaned heavily on color and pattern to do it,” Becca says. 

However, the clients were set on having all open shelving, just like the restaurant in Lyon had. But Becca’s team was forced to pivot after the client’s dad, an avid wine collector, explained that wine should be stored horizontally. 

Instead, Becca added wine racks and incorporated the open shelves above the fridge to showcase brass details, vintage pieces, and framed French postcards.

For Becca and the BB Meyer Design team, it was one of their first projects that was all about making a statement. “We wanted guests to walk by and say, ‘What’s this?!’” Becca writes. “It’s such a fun surprise.”

Plus, the room needed to feel a little unexpected and set apart from the rest of the home, and the clients trusted Becca and her team to do that. “They gave us the freedom to push beyond the expected with color, pattern, and detail, and that allowed us to create something genuinely bold and exciting!”

And since the clients are avid vintage collectors and estate sale attendees, their home is filled with treasures that the wine closet now adds to in a new way. 

Inspired? Submit your own project here.

• Paint
  • Farrow & Ball’s “Eating Room Red”
• Products
  • Jammu Wallpaper in “Rust” from Wells Abbott
  • Avallon Dual Zone Wine Cooler from Ferguson Home 
  • Halstead Fabric in “Rose & Gold” from Schumacher
  • Antique Unlacquered Brass Gallery Rail by CountryHardware from Etsy
  • Unlacquered Antique Brass Drop Handles by CountryHardware from Etsy
  • Unlacquered Solid Brass Oval Knob with Backplate by CountryHardware from Etsy