BerryBros & Rudd – Family Reserve

The Berry Bros. & Rudd estate, home to Britain’s oldest family-run wine and spirit merchant, has recently completed a comprehensive renovation of its family reserve cellar. The project not only enhanced cooling and humidity control but also addressed security, lighting, and overall aesthetics. The objective was to bring this historic space up to contemporary standards, creating a new destination while preserving the charm and patina of its Grade 2 listed status. 

The brief 

Trading from the same shop since 1698, BB&R has held two Royal Warrants for the late Queen Elizabeth II and H.M King Charles III. Situated deep beneath their residence in Pall Mall, opposite St. James’ Palace in London, UK, this particular cellar serves as the storage space for the family’s private wine collection, making its preservation of utmost importance.  The design criteria included seamlessly integrating a new lighting concept, ensuring minimal intrusion to protect the character. The lighting needed to highlight the wine collection, provide functional illumination for pathways, and create an immersive and atmospheric experience. 

The lighting design 

Miniature magnetic spotlights mounted on aged metal strips highlight the wines below on original shelves, while low-glare downlights with elliptic beams illuminate the walkways. The age-old fireplaces have been artistically depicted using amber linear LEDs, creating a silhouette effect against the wine racks in front. The timber ramps that guide visitors through the cellar spaces have been lit from underneath to enhance direction and showcase the aged floor. 

The lighting design intentionally maintains a low light level within the cellar to preserve the wine. However, various lighting scenes have been programmed for different uses, ranging from a subtle ambient background glow to more atmospheric scenes befitting a visitor’s experience – enhancing the feeling of exploration within an ancient cave. 

Achieving the desired outcome with Casambi 

This project embraced sustainability by utilizing quality LED fittings with long lifetimes and low wattage. Casambi’s wireless lighting control solution was deployed to provide a cable-free installation and remote control via the Casambi app or through smart switches:  Broadcast via CBU-ASDs and individual DALI downlight and spotlight control using CBU-DALI20 modules, individual control of linear LED lights utilizing CBU-PWM5s and integration of custom switches via SC-T1-CAS. 

The pre-set scenes were configured in the Casambi app, providing the client with the ability to easily switch between them and adjust independently from their smartphone without relying on external engineering support. 

The new lighting solution provides a perfect blend that leaves a lasting impression, just like a well-aged wine. For this reason, it was shortlisted for the 2024 Casambi Project of the Year Award.