Vaults are a common feature of large Georgian terraced houses like the ones in my client’s house in the centre of Bath.

They were built to support the highway above and create a level site on Bath’s hills.  In Georgian times they were used for coal storage, laundry and as a service area for the building. Vaults usually fall outside the main footprint of the house, separated by a lightwell. 

The vaults in this house had already been tanked many years ago in order to provide a habitable space, but nowadays there are strict rules around the kind of works you can do to vaults. If you are considering any work, BANES have lots of support and advice.

Keen collectors of wine, my clients wanted to use their vaults as wine storage but also as an occasional entertaining space as on the same level they have a cinema and relaxed living room.

Integral to the design were the bespoke wine racks which were made of eco-friendly Valcromat faced in walnut veneer and fitted around the arch of the vault. The racking was built to accommodate different sized bottles and a wine fridge.

Flooring was luxury vinyl in an oak effect herringbone pattern.  We laid indoor/outdoor rugs from Ruggable in both vaults to add colour and pattern.

We used bronze Ascolli spotlights and uplighters from Astro Lighting to create flexible mood lighting throughout the area. 

Bronze bespoke-made column radiators were installed throughout.

The kitchenette area was designed as a working space to help entertain guests. We adapted existing kitchen units by spray painting them in Hague Blue from Farrow & Ball. This strong blue has green undertones which means it works well in smaller dark rooms, where it looks dramatic and elegant. We added a gold underslung sink and a dark brown quartz worktop from Hobbs Stone and Granite.

Alongside the wine racking, we created a bespoke curved banquette to maximise the seating area.

The high black table is the minimalist Scandinavian designed Harbour round dining table with a column base. The chairs and bar stools are the client’s own.

In the guest cloakroom we used a classic Burlington washstand and toilet and added glamour with the colours and finishes. We painted the room in Sulking Room Pink by Farrow & Ball. A muted warm rose, Sulking Room Pink is named after the colour used in boudoirs, a room named after the French “bouder” – to sulk.

The Metallic Vitreum Aurum Fan tiles in rose gold were from Fired Earth. These beautiful metallic decorative tiles make a real statement in a small room.

We added wall lights from Pooky for some extra Deco glamour to this room.

The vaulted area now provides an atmospheric and sophisticated area for my clients to entertain their guests as well as store their collection of wine.