{ ROOM TOUR }

Cave Dwellings
Wine cellars stocked with provisions.
BY A M A N DA DA M E R O N

Old-World Glory

When Mark Cravottas clients approached him to create a Ferrante tables and custom high-back chairs by Elijah Slowine cellar in their central Texas home, it was an unusual cum join circa-1850 benches purchased from a chateau on job that immediately intrigued him. The house was con- the border between France and Belgium. ceived as an emulation of a historic English manor, and One major consideration in building a wine cellar, no thats not a typical style for the area or for the times, he matter the style or the setting, is climate control. A room says.They wanted absolute authenticity; in order to deliver made of stone and wood presents a serious challenge, bethat I was able to dream bigand they were willing to cause a room thats suited for wine storage is hardly ideal dream with me. for comfortably lounging and entertaining, says Cravotta. Drawing on a combination of Gothic, Tudor, and He solved the dilemma using a complicated system based Jacobean elements, Cravotta set out to create an old English on moisture barriers, ducting, and ventilation, as well as his feel using the finest materials, working with craftspeople idea of building individual wine lockers with controlled who approached the project with painstaking attention to temperatures independent of the rest of the space.The resdetail. We joked about it having the idents are delightful people who enjoy feel of dungeononly nicer and not being at home and wanted to create SOURCES scary, he says with a laugh. To estaban English castlelike setting, he says. lish a feeling of continuity with the Lars Stanley Metalworks light Theyve traveled extensively through rest of the house, Cravotta used the fixtures, 512.445.0444, Europe, and marked their journey same blend of limestone and sandwww.larsstanley.com with wines collected along the way stone that clads the exterior. Lueders Carl Akins woodwork, over time, theyve filled their wine limestone flooring complements the 214.742.4801 cellar with many memories, each of crisp ceramic-tile ceiling and rich Elijah Slocum chairs, 310.280.9098, which is relived every time they pop tones of the black-walnut millwork www.elijahslocum.com a cork. and cabinetry, which took furniture Paul Ferrante tables, 323.653.4142, maker Carl Akins over a year to comwww.paulferrante.com Cravotta Studios, 512.499.0400, plete and install. French-walnut Paul www.cravottastudios.com
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PAUL BARDAGJY