There comes a moment in every homeowner's life when they look at that awkward, underused closet and think, "This could be a wine room." For Becca Meyer's clients, that moment happened in Lyon, France, where they were seated in a restaurant surrounded by shelves of wine bottles that apparently doubled as decor. The result? A 21-square-foot closet off the kitchen got a French-inspired makeover that's part wine cellar, part art installation, and entirely the kind of thing you'd expect from someone who names their design firm BB Meyer Design.

The clients, who clearly enjoy a good vintage in more ways than one, originally used the closet for wine storage, but the heavy metal door and lack of any cohesive design made it feel less "wine room" and more "storage closet with a drinking problem." Becca and her team set out to change that, aiming to "capture the warmth and atmosphere of that French restaurant while making the room genuinely functional for the way our clients collect, store, and serve wine." So they did what any reasonable designer would do: they added wallpaper from Wells Abbott, color-drenched the space in Farrow & Ball's "Eating Room Red," and custom-built cabinetry and a beadboard accent wall painted the same deep red. Because nothing says "French restaurant" like a room that looks like it's wearing a velvet tuxedo.

The original plan was open shelving, just like the Lyon restaurant, but then the client's dad - an avid wine collector, because of course - pointed out that wine should be stored horizontally. So Becca pivoted, adding wine racks and incorporating open shelves above the fridge to showcase brass details, vintage pieces, and framed French postcards. Because nothing says "I'm cultured" like a postcard from a country you've actually visited.

For Becca and the BB Meyer Design team, this was one of their first projects all about making a statement. "We wanted guests to walk by and say, 'What's this?!'" Becca writes. "It's such a fun surprise." And indeed, the room is meant to feel unexpected and set apart from the rest of the home. The clients gave Becca the freedom to push beyond the expected with color, pattern, and detail, which is designer-speak for "we let her do whatever she wanted." Since the clients are avid vintage collectors and estate sale attendees, their home is already filled with treasures, and the wine closet now adds to that collection in a new way.

For those looking to recreate this look, the article helpfully lists the exact products used: Jammu Wallpaper in "Rust" from Wells Abbott, Avallon Dual Zone Wine Cooler from Ferguson Home, Halstead Fabric in "Rose & Gold" from Schumacher, and various unlacquered brass hardware from CountryHardware on Etsy. Because nothing says "French-inspired" like unlacquered brass from an online marketplace.

So if you have an awkward closet that lacks purpose, take a page from Becca Meyer's book: turn it into a wine room. Just remember to store your bottles horizontally, unless you want your dad to give you a lecture. And if you're looking for more inspiration, Apartment Therapy's Daily email newsletter is there to fill your inbox with posts, tours, products, and shopping guides - because you can never have too many reminders that your home could be better.