Some avid taxidermy collectors are seasoned hunters, while others commission the hunt and taxidermy of animals. Whether going on a weekend hunting trip or planning a weeks-long safari, your goal is to bring back trophy animals for your taxidermist. But once you have your trophy, where are you going to put it? Most collectors have a trophy room in their home, complete with taxidermy animals, hunting gear and decor to create lasting memories.
A personal trophy room is a fantastic presentation tool, but unless you have interior design experience, you could run into issues while trying to create an ideal space. Luckily, you can be successful with a little guidance and some suggestions from professional trophy room designers.
If you are planning to design your own trophy room, then the following tips are for you!
- Decide the room’s purpose and theme: Consider whether the room will only be used for displaying animal trophies, or if will also be a family room, home office or more like a museum. For the room’s theme, choose based around the story you want to tell—such as the places you’ve traveled to for hunting, or the memories made while hunting with family and friends—or make it a natural wildlife diorama.
- Set a budget: When designing your trophy room, write out a budget for the room features you want to add that will enhance the look of the space. For example, you might want to install ceiling beams or wood shelving for extra trophy mounting, or add spotlights to illuminate your taxidermy collection.
- Don’t crowd items together: The key to an organized and visually appealing trophy room is to not crowd taxidermy animals, decor, furniture and other objects close together. Too many close-hanging head mounts or wall-mounted busts can crowd a space, so plan your room design around the future, not just your current collection.
- Avoid natural light: Although natural light brings beauty into a room, the sun’s UV rays can be damaging to animal hairs, fade trophy colors and throw off accent lighting. Consider adding a dark window film over the glass, or remove windows altogether.
- Watch room temperature: Taxidermy animal skins need to be kept at 65 to 72 degrees with a steady humidity of 40 to 50 percent year-round. In addition, make sure your air grates are not pointing directly at your trophies, and install them in inconspicuous locations.
- Install double doors: Double doors are great for a couple reasons. First, they look beautiful in a home. And imagine throwing open the double doors to your trophy room to have your guests gasp in awe! They also let you get larger trophies into and out of the space more easily.
Designing your own trophy room is a great accomplishment, but what about the taxidermy pieces you want to put on display? Do you need help with ideas of where to hang or place each piece? To avoid crowding your trophy room, contact the experts at Nature’s Design Taxidermy for professional trophy room design services today!