Luxury Home Amenities Worth the Splurge

Building trends may come and go, but wine cellars have been around for thousands of years. At-home wine cellars are a more recent invention.

In the U.S. Prohibition era, wine access was limited, and homeowners built underground wine cellars to keep their alcohol hidden from the authorities. Even after Prohibition ended, most home wine cellars remained dark and utilitarian.

As everyday wine drinking became more popular in the 1960s and 70s, so did the desire for stylish home wine cellars. Wine aficionados built a taste for storing and sharing bottles, which has persisted into the modern era of entertaining and gathering at home.

Home wine cellars come in all shapes and sizes and don’t necessarily need to be underground. With proper light, humidity, and temperature control, almost any room could be your wine cellar.

Depending on the design, a wine cellar can be challenging to build. It’s not a do-it-yourself project, especially if you want to include ornate stonework and architectural details. You’ll need a builder with extensive knowledge of proper wine cellar construction.

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the entertainment industry and changed how people watch movies and TV. Theatrical revenue dropped from $42.3 billion to $12 billion in 2020 as illness and lockdowns kept people at home.

Since then, the home entertainment market is still growing at a rate of 2.67%. By 2028, more than 40 million people will own some type of home entertainment system.

Today’s home theaters don’t always look like traditional movie theaters. Here are a few ideas to consider.

• Create a kid-size movie theater with screens, popcorn, candy, and beanbag chairs.
• Outfit your theater room with vintage-style chaise lounges and retro decor.
• Turn an entire wall into a movie screen, so anywhere is the best seat in the house.
• Watch movies from your hot tub or pool cinema with a built-in wet bar.

You don’t have to be a weightlifter to have a home gym. There are also many other types of fitness rooms.

If you practice yoga, build a yoga studio with mats and meditation areas. Welcome the outdoors inside with thoughtful landscaping, hardscaping, and indoor plant placement.

Is someone in your home an avid golfer? Use some of that extra square footage for a dedicated golf simulator. Whether it’s to keep your swing intact year round, or to host your foursome to play any course in the world, regardless of the weather.

Thinking about something bigger? Architectural Digest explains that a sports court, like a basketball court or indoor soccer practice field, sounds complicated but is fairly simple to design. It’s essentially a large, open box with tall ceilings, sports equipment, and safety features.