Blog by Ashley Wetterstrom
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| Front Entrance |
Step into another world at the Twisted
Vine wine bar and store in downtown Fullerton, California. The space is located on Commonwealth
Ave between Harbor Blvd and Malden.
Owners Chris and Jessica Castillo opened the doors of their marvelous
wine bar in October, 2006. You can
stop by to purchase wine, Belgium beer and accessories or stay for a delicious
dish paired with incredible wine. Designed
by the Castillos, the Twisted Vine exemplifies elegance through
simplicity.
The existing space was used as a
storage room for the neighboring Ace Hardware store. The entire place, including the back patio area, was gutted
and prepped for ten months of construction. The plastered walls were chiseled, power washed and sealed
to expose the underlying brick surface.
The concrete flooring was acid washed and then sealed in earth
tones. After power washing, the
structural wood exposed ceiling was revealed. Utilizing several original surface materials created a rustic
palette for the wine bar.
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| Concrete Flooring |
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| Original Brick Wall |
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| West Wall Wine Cabinetry |
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| Wainscoting / Hallway to Back Patio |
Some other surface materials chosen for
the Twisted Vine include porcelain tile in the restrooms and slate flooring on
the back patio. The remaining wall
space was painted a travitan shade in eggshell finish, offered by Frazee Paints. The tabletops were made out of the insides of wood barrels and then
finished in red and brown hues. The
use of dimmed lighting and candlelight generates a precise contrast between the
bold and subdued earth tones on display.
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| Interior Wood Barrel Tabletops |
The architectural focus of the exposed
structural wood ceiling displays the height of the space. The original wood was power washed and
sealed at minimal cost. The longitudinal
floor plan allows for intimate settings within sections of open space. With simplistic colors and
accessories, Chris and Jessica have patented an environment that relishes in
relaxation, elegance and a treasured escape from everyday life.
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| Intimate Seating |
Note from the owners:
My wife and I decided that Fullerton
was missing something. So in October of 2006, we opened the Twisted Vine.
We love going to wine country and our inspiration to open up a wine bar was our
desire to bring a little bit of Napa Valley to Fullerton.
We wanted to create a classy
environment without being stuffy. Our unofficial business model is fine
dining service without pretension. We feel we accomplished that with our
design plan. We basically took the existing building and exposed the beauty of
the structure without adding
unnecessary fluff.
The walls were exposed to their original brick, and the original concrete floors were stained in earth tones to create a warm, comfortable environment. Leather furniture and dark woods, with minimal lighting create a rustic setting reminiscent of old wine country.
The walls were exposed to their original brick, and the original concrete floors were stained in earth tones to create a warm, comfortable environment. Leather furniture and dark woods, with minimal lighting create a rustic setting reminiscent of old wine country.
We want everyone to feel like they are
in their own homes. With our customer service, food and ambiance, we feel we
have accomplished that.
~ Chris and Jessica Castillo
