yes, thanks for the tip. I do monitor relative humidity and it always seems to be between 50% to 80%. I am just working on the temperature swing.

With a low ceiling, recessed cans seem most practical. However, if you're looking for some personality, we need to know if you're going modern or old-world, or...?

Ice cold vodka in an ice cold shot glass is a joy. I like it in the winter for some reason. I keep a small glass bottle in the freezer marked ANTIFREEZE. It's kind of sweet, almost minty, a little more viscous so it gives an interesting mouth feel, and no harshness at all. I have drunk with Russians who said 1) ice cold 2) down the whole shot, no sipping. I prefer to sip as long as it stays cold. Those guys brought some Russian vodka with a Russian label, the stuff they don't export, and it was delish.

Wow the previous owners probably invested a lot of money into that wine cellar. I can see how it would be very difficult to handle if you don't drink wine. I actually love your idea for yarn storage. Just think how beautiful the colorful yarn would be neatly organized in there! That said, I think your options are to dismantle the room and turn it into something completely different, or somehow repurpose or leave it as-is, but empty. You can always store other beverages in there (fancy sparkling water, etc), but it's always going to look like a very high end wine cellar / collection.