Being stuck at home for weeks on end due to the coronavirus can either bring out the crazy or bring on the creativity. Some amazing do-it-yourself projects have emerged in people’s homes and on their properties as they find a way to pass the time instead of just sitting there idly watching the minutes tick by.
Some active people seeking a way to stay busy have converted an entire wall in their homes into a rock climbing structure. Green thumbs have tapped into their horticulturist side and have painted and installed heavy-duty shelves on bare walls that now house a variety of plants and greenery.
An artist took a blah extra bedroom and redesigned it into a rocketship. Pet owners are taking the unused underside of a staircase and creating a canine condo for their best friend.
Murray Berrill, 58, is a home renovator and builder from Victoria, Australia. His lastest project was for his sister and people are dumbfounded at the space solution he devised for her.
All she wanted was a wine cellar. But when you don’t have enough space, what else can you do?
Murray, who owns Murray Berrill Constructions, knew exactly how to help his sister out with her dilemma. He also was appreciative of the work, since the coronavirus’ impact on the global economy has made things hard for self-employed people.
So instead of carving out a wine cellar from a space that’s actually needed, he turned to a surprising area of the home.
The staircase!
We’ve seen people creating pooch pads under the staircase, converting this unused area into amazing kennels or lavish doghouses. But Murray uses the actual staircase itself as a makeshift wine cellar.
“I hate dead space and my clients love wine.”
Murray painstakingly designed 12 wide, extended drawers. Each was fitted with bottle holders, a total of 156 to be exact.
He had to measure the wood to make sure the drawers were wide enough to fit two bottles across and deep enough to hold two rows’ worth.
The drawers are installed along every single step and the staircase had to be structurally strong enough to securely house the wine while still functioning as a weight-bearing staircase. The drawers and additional materials cost $500, and the project in all cost $5,900.
“There is a stud wall from the concrete slab to underneath each tread that runs down the middle of the stairs. An elephant could walk on it. That’s also where the drawer slides are fixed so that the draws are anchored to the slab to minimize vibrations.”
In order to function as a true wine cellar, the staircase was retrofitted with insulation and a temperature-tracking thermometer in order to keep the wine appropriately chilled.
With so much attention paid to the details, it took him 1.5 weeks to build it and according to the customer, it was well worth the wait!
Wine lovers spied Murray’s creation after he posted it on Facebook and fell in love with the handiwork. They found his conversion of unused space simply genius.
Others who reallllly love their wine teased that they would need a steeper staircase and more steps to accommodate just how much they love their wine.
Murray is an expert at making the best use of small spaces. He lives in a small cottage that allows him to have an ample-sized area for his Permaculture garden.
“So, you get real good at utilizing every bit of space. Necessity is the mother of invention. Just try to think out of the box and avoid dead space.”
When Murray was interviewed by WIN-TV, he said his customer was “blown away.” The wine cellar staircase also provides people an incentive.
“If you start at the bottom and work your up, I’ll bet you’ll get to the top.”
When asked about his idea going viral on social media, he attributed it to the coronavirus.
“I think it has a lot to do with people in isolation, there’s probably a bit of drinking going on.”
Some have asked if he could share or sell his construction plans, but Murray noted that they’re all in his head. If anyone wants to attempt to create something similar on their own, he suggested that if he or she gets tripped up to call a professional, because they could use the work right now, too.
How awesome is this innovative wine cellar? Would this be something you’d build in your home?
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