The Cellar...

We are currently designing the various rooms for Willowbrook. One of the rooms which we covet most is the cellar. We have designed a traditional grotto which runs underneath the house, accessed from the garden via a tunnel under the terrace, and also from the ground floor via a staircase (and lift for disabled access).

We plan to offer people the experience of dining in the cellar, or adjourning after their main meal for supper, cheese, or wine tasting.

Unlike the rest of the house, which will have a finely plastered finish, the grotto and cellar will maintain a traditional, roughly hewn feel, evocative of a provincial French cellar. The passage will be lit with rustic sconces, until guests reach a large heavy oak door with wrought iron detailing...

On entering the cellar, they will find themselves in an intimate space, created with warm exposed brick vaulting on the ceiling and walls, and the bedazzling range of a well-stocked cellar.

In the middle of the room will be a large, long table, seating about 10 people. Here the fine company and cosy conversation can continue into the small hours of the morning...

On special weekends we will host wine-tasting lessons with top New Zealand wine connoisseurs, where people will be able to come to further develop an appreciation for fine wines, accompanied by a light meal or canapes.