A client asked architect Donald Lococo to create a wine cellar on the lower level of his Northwest DC home that would serve as a spot for gathering with friends. The architect’s plan reimagined the typical cave-like basement wine cellar with a wine room reminiscent of a stately library. Rows of mahogany cabinetry hold the owner’s wine collection in a climate- and the humidity-controlled area behind a nearly invisible barrier of glass. On the other side of the space, comfortable seating beckons.

Lococo repeated the same mahogany millwork in the adjacent seating area, in the form of ceiling beams, wall panels, and bookshelves. Additional rooms surround the space, fostering gatherings large and small. A gallery lined with niches for large urns from Century Furniture leads to a wine memorabilia library at one end and an art studio at the other, while a foyer leads back to the seating area—called the imbibing room—and a terrace.

The Details  ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CABINETRY DETAILING: Donald Lococo, AIA, Donald Lococo Architects, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: Horizon Builders, Crofton, Maryland. CABINET FABRICATION: ivancdutterer.com. PHOTOGRAPHY: Donald Lococo.