VUE

CellArt is a high-end design firm composed of a carefully selected team of master engineers, contractors, designers, artists, and wine connoisseurs who work together to transform traditional wine storage into displays of modern art. These cellar designs are as innovative as they are sustainable and each project is built with elements of art, environmentalism, and individuality in mind. S pecializing in wine storage, CellArt has a rich portfolio of both commercial and residential projects that they've transformed from drab, cold, and old school wine cellars into warm, beautiful, functional spaces. Here the wine can both sit in the environment that best preserves the contents, while also being showcased as a statement piece of the home. CellArt does not only focus on residential projects, they also specialize in handcrafting wine accessories, hosting spectacular wine tastings, and creating custom storage options for cars and yachts. Their most notable projects however, are collaborations with artists from around the world who've helped them design magnificent sculptural and architectural wine storage displays. It took CellArt founder and serial entrepreneur, Jonathan Primeau, four years to source and collaborate with some of his favorite artists, and he worked through four different teams to land on who are now his trusted team of professional builders and experts. Marketing, client relationship management, production, and the creation of the cellar spaces are all done in-house. While CellArt was born as a passion project, it wasn't the first and final destination. Primeau began building his empire first, by launching a private wine import company, investing in restaurants, and selling wine fridges at Costco. This allowed him to build a network of potential leads and industry experts. In 2017, Primeau attended a sommelier school where he sharpened his knowledge of wine production and the luxury qualities and branding of the spirit. He created his brand and became ranked as one of the top 45 brands in the U.S. This was the moment when Primeau realized he wanted CellArt to become his legacy. In the time since, the founder has had three children, built his firm, and managed to adapt to an unpredictable market during a global pandemic. The firm's mission is to reinvent the wine cellar so that it becomes the heart of a space or home. CellArt builds its cellars with natural stone, glass, and wood. They use natural ingredients to treat the wood and glass, avoiding treatments and solutions that have a negative environmental impact. Primeau focuses on using raw materials that are locally sourced from the area where the cellar will be constructed. That has proven to be a challenge for some of his projects are located in pockets of Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East where local materials vary widely, but for the firm there are no boundaries. One of Primeau's goals with CellArt is to combine his two loves of wine and art. He has carefully selected artists he loves and commissioned them to create custom spaces but he also makes his best effort to amplify up-and-coming artists who may not yet be internationally renowned. The biggest challenge of collaborating with artists is that they don't always know how the environment and materials used to build storage spaces can affect the integrity of the wine. Primeau and his team allow V U E N J .C O M 91

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