Case study · Neutral Bay, Sydney

Neutral Bay – Cavern Cellar

Designed by Eamonn Egan. A traditional sandstone cellar in Neutral Bay, with cherry-toned racking beside the natural rock. He consulted and designed. He did not build, supply or install it.

Wide view of the cellar: dark timber racking and display shelves on all walls, an L-shaped timber bench, and a natural sandstone rock face at right.
Cherry-toned racking and a long bench run beside the natural rock face.
Designer
Eamonn Egan. Design consultancy only.
Place
Neutral Bay, Sydney.

The room

The finished room is a cavern of racking against natural sandstone, with a long timber bench, display shelves and a lit band of stone. The photographs move from the works to that room.

The stone, the racking and the bench were made and installed by the client’s own trades, from the design. Eamonn designed the cellar. He did not build, supply or install it, and he does not carry construction liability for the work.

Before and after

Drag the divider, or use the left and right arrow keys.

Excavated basement with sandstone walls above new grey blockwork and a ladder, before fit-out.
Before: the excavated space with new block walls.
Wide view of floor-to-ceiling timber racking with display shelves and lit glass panels, pale stone floor.
After: The finished cellar, racked on every wall.
Natural sandstone back wall resting on new grey block plinths during works.
Before: sandstone back wall above the blockwork.
Front view of a timber racking wall filled with bottles, with a strip of lit sandstone at the base of the upper rows.
After: Full racking wall with a lit sandstone strip.
Empty timber racking modules being installed along the walls, sandstone at right.
Before: Racking modules going in.
Tall single-bottle column at left with timber racking and display shelves running around the cellar beyond.
After: Racking and display shelves around the room.
A sandstone column rising from a corner of grey blockwork during works.
Before: sandstone column at the corner.
A natural sandstone column standing in front of timber racking and the bench.
After: Sandstone column beside the racking.

Before: the excavated space with new block walls.After: The finished cellar, racked on every wall.

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The finished cellar

  • Dark timber and sandstone cellar under low lighting.
  • Natural rock face with wall-mounted bottle display.
  • Lit sandstone niche between bottle racks.
  • Tasting bench with decanters against sandstone.
  • Lit glass display niche with crystal decanter.
  • Racking runs meeting a natural rock wall.
  • Cherry-toned racking and a long bench run beside the natural rock face.
  • The finished cellar, racked on every wall.
  • Racking and display shelves around the room.
  • Back wall of racking with a lit sandstone band.
  • Timber bench running alongside the rock.
  • Full racking wall with a lit sandstone strip.
  • Display shelves with downlights above the bench.
  • Sandstone column beside the racking.
  • Racking around the rock, with steps to the house.
  • Single-bottle racking beneath the rock face.
  • Timber bench meeting the natural sandstone.
  • Tasting corner with glasses and bins.

Before & during construction

These frames show the space as it was built. The client’s own trades did that work.

  • Before: the excavated space with new block walls.
  • Before: sandstone back wall above the blockwork.
  • Before: excavation with ladder against the sandstone.
  • Before: sandstone column at the corner.
  • Racking modules going in.
  • Before: excavated sandstone wall.

Traditional sandstone gallery