Drinks Storage Furniture
Drinks storage furniture gathers the vessels and bottles of hospitality into dedicated cabinets, cellarettes and sideboards designed to hold a home's liquid stock.
Drinks Storage Furniture
Drinks storage furniture covers everything from Georgian cellarettes and wine coolers built for bottle conservation to Art Deco cocktail cabinets and Edwardian cupboards configured for glassware and spirits. You will encounter formal side cabinets and chiffoniers alongside dedicated low drinks chests and tall cocktail units.
The pieces span from the mid-eighteenth century through the nineteenth century and into the nineteen-thirties. Georgian and Regency pieces rely on heavy timber cellarettes, whilst Edwardian and Art Deco examples shift towards fitted cupboards and specialised cocktail units.
Mahogany and rosewood dominate the earlier centuries, giving way to burr walnut, birch and exotic veneers by the nineteen-thirties. Sideboards and chiffoniers provide surface display alongside enclosed storage for bottles and decanters.
Materials and construction
Cabinetmakers utilised dense hardwoods such as mahogany, walnut and rosewood, frequently selecting burr veneers and inlaid satinwood to create patterned surfaces on doors and lids. Brass handles, mounts, bottle linings and cast-iron legs provide structural contrast and functional reinforcement.
Internal fitting required precise carpentry, incorporating custom slots for bottles, velvet-lined shelves for glassware, and drop-down mirrored mixing flaps in later cocktail cabinets. Cellarettes rely on lead or brass linings and compartmentalised interiors designed to secure individual wine bottles safely.
Drinks Storage Furniture Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for drinks storage furniture among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Nineteen-thirties cocktail cabinets frequently hide mirrored mixing trays and glass shelves behind innocent geometric veneer doors.
Judging execution and finish
Quality rests upon the selection of timber veneers and the crispness of applied brass mounts or hand-carved details. Superior examples display continuous grain matching across cabinet doors and robust internal joinery that survives decades of opening and closing.
The integrity of fitted interiors distinguishes standard utility cupboards from masterwork cocktail and wine storage. Original brass linings, intact drop-down mechanisms and designated bottle dividers indicate a higher tier of commission.
Harry and Lou Epstein·Hille·Whytock and Reid·Waring and Gillows
The Drinks Storage Furniture Glossary
- Cellarette
- A low freestanding chest or box designed specifically for storing wine bottles, often fitted with internal partitions or metal linings. They sat beneath sideboards or beside dining tables in Georgian and Regency dining rooms.
- Cocktail Cabinet
- A specialised piece developed primarily in the twentieth century, featuring drop-down surfaces for mixing drinks, mirrored interiors, and dedicated space for glassware and bottles. Art Deco makers produced some of the most elaborate examples.
- Chiffonier
- A low sideboard or cabinet with enclosed shelves below and frequently a raised shelf or back above. They emerged in the nineteenth century for general parlour storage.
- Wine Cooler
- A large vessel or freestanding cabinet used to chill or store bottles before serving. Georgian and Regency iterations often took architectural forms with brass banding.
- Veneer
- A thin layer of decorative wood applied to a secondary timber base to create patterned exterior surfaces. Burr walnut and mahogany veneers feature heavily on twentieth-century cabinets.
Drinks Storage Furniture: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use a cellarette today?
Cellarettes function well as side tables or low storage chests in living rooms and studies, holding bottles or household items.
Their sturdy compartmentalised interiors protect glass and ceramic objects securely.
Where should a cocktail cabinet go?
Place cocktail cabinets in dining rooms or drawing rooms where entertaining takes place, allowing easy access to glassware and bottles.
Ensure adequate clearance around drop-down mixing flaps so they open fully without obstruction.
How do I clean wooden drinks cabinets?
Maintain polished hardwood surfaces with appropriate wax rather than wet cloths, protecting the grain and original sheen.
Inspect internal metal or mirror linings carefully to ensure modern cleaning products will not damage aged surfaces.
How do I distinguish Georgian from Art Deco storage?
Georgian pieces rely on solid mahogany, brass bands and architectural proportions designed for cellars and dining rooms.
Art Deco items employ burr walnut, birch, mirrors and geometric veneers tailored for twentieth-century cocktail culture.