Your antique armoire may be large enough to accommodate a wine cooler.
A wine cooling unit is essentially a compact refrigerator with an electronic thermostat for chilling white wine to a precise temperature. These units may hold as few as six bottles or up to two cases of wine. Fitting a wine cooler into an antique armoire can add a touch of elegance to your wine-serving ritual, but several factors require consideration before making modifications to an old and possibly valuable piece of furniture. If you do not mind cutting a hole in an inconspicuous location on the armoire, then you may proceed with confidence. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Open the front door on the armoire to inspect the interior. If the piece contains interior shelves, these would likely need to be removed.
2. Measure the interior width, height and depth of the armoire and then measure the same dimensions of your wine cooler. Add 1 inch to the wine cooler's depth measurement because the units typically require at least an inch of clearance in the back for air circulation. If the overall dimensions of the cooler exceed the interior space of the armoire, the cooler would not fit. If the cooler's depth exceeds the depth of the armoire, the doors may not close properly regardless of whether the armoire's height and width are within the size limits.
3. Turn around the armoire to inspect the back. If there are no openings that are at least 1 inch in diameter, you would need to drill the back panel to create access to an electrical socket for connecting the wine cooler. Check the location of the power cord on the back of the cooler. For example, if the power cord is on the lower left corner, you would need to create an opening in the lower right corner of the armoire when facing the furniture from the front.
4. Drill a 1 inch in diameter hole through the back panel of the armoire.
5. Lift the wine cooler with the help of a friend and place the unit inside the armoire through the open front door.
6. Replace any shelving above the armoire, leaving at least a 1/2-inch gap at the top, if the shelves are adjustable. This helps air circulation.
7. Rotate the legs on the wine cooler counterclockwise to level the appliance inside the armoire, if the cooler has adjustable legs.
8. Plug in the wine cooler's power cord.
Tags: wine cooler, power cord, armoire cooler, armoire inspect, armoire then, back panel, cooler depth