Project scope
The Bittenbender Basement Bar project started as a vision: turn part of a new basement bar into a living centrepiece, with a carpet python enclosure that blends into the room.
The goal was a bold, natural, fully custom build. Not just a tank on a stand, but a built-in showpiece that felt like it was always meant to be there. To help the client picture the concept, we created a set of rendered mockups before construction began.
The build
- Animal
- Carpet python
- Setting
- A basement bar
- Interior
- Polygem Zoopoxy rockwork, ledges, and hides
- Stand
- Custom, stained, with Bittenbender signage panels
- Control
- Herpstat 4 for heating and lighting schedules
Building the interior
To capture the feel of the outback, we started with the background and floor structure. Using Polygem Zoopoxy, we sculpted rock faces, ledges, and contours that give the carpet python proper elevation, basking zones, and hides.
Stand, signage, and exterior
Since this build was headed for a basement bar, the outside needed to look like furniture, not a typical reptile rack or store stand. We designed a custom stand and signage panels to tie everything into the Bittenbender theme.
Choosing finishes and staining the stand
With the structure done, we shifted to the finish. The stain and colour choices needed to complement the client's bar while still letting the enclosure stand out as a feature.
Lighting, heating, and the final look
Heat and lighting were designed into the enclosure from the beginning. The lighting supports the carpet python's needs, and it makes the rockwork look incredible in a dim bar.
For automation and safety, a Herpstat 4 thermostat manages the heating and lighting schedules, giving the client easy control over the environment.
The thermostat in this build
A showpiece ready for the bar
We don't have in-home installation photos, but this enclosure and stand were designed to drop into a custom space in the client's basement bar. Once installed, it becomes a living centrepiece: a glowing slice of the Australian outback built right into their entertainment space.
Projects like this one show what we love doing at Cornel's World: combining proper reptile husbandry with furniture-grade design to create enclosures that work for the animal and the room.
Full shop walkaround
Here's a full walkaround of the Bittenbender build at our shop, before it was delivered and installed in the client's basement bar.
Plan a custom build
Thinking about a custom enclosure designed around your home, bar, or feature room? We can help bring your vision to life.
