How to Design a Music Room

Musicians Can Decorate with a Musical Theme and Showcase Instruments

Nov 28, 2008 Marcy Paulson

What's more inspiring for musicians than a personalized room surrounding them with the things they enjoy? Here are tips for designing the perfect music retreat.

Musicians can start by settling on the focal point for their new music room. Choosing a focal point early helps create a unified look. The focal point is also important because it showcases the musician’s interests and personal taste.

A focal point for a music room shouldn’t be hard to choose. In fact, most musicians probably have it already. What about that classy baby grand, or the enormous upright bass with its intricate wood grain patterns? What about the hip drum set or the guitar collection stashed away in cases? The truth is, most musicians decide to design a music room out of necessity. There’s just no other place for all those instruments.

Displaying Musical Instruments in the Music Room

Musicians should settle on a visible spot to display the instrument or instruments that will be the music room’s focal point. For instruments like pianos or drums, this won’t be a problem, but when it comes to instruments that are held, the job is trickier.

Stands work well for one or two instruments, but for a collection, musicians might consider hanging them on the wall. A musical instrument is certainly more likely to be practiced and enjoyed if it’s in easy reach.

Displaying guitars, mandolins, banjos, ukuleles, violins, or other string instruments off the ground can be nerve wracking at first, but with a few wise precautions, this can be a safe and practical way to store instruments. Choose a spot clear of the room’s main traffic to prevent passers from accidentally bumping the instruments. Musicians would also do well to take a cue from the music stores and loop rubber bands across the hooks just in case an instrument does get brushed against. Unfastening and refastening the bands only takes a second, and this little safeguard could end up making all the difference.

To construct a sturdy display for several string instruments…

Pick up a plank of hardwood and some nice looking nickel-plated, chrome, brass, or antique brass doorstops (2 for each instrument).
Router the plank’s edges to give it a finished look.
Lay the plank on the ground and space the instruments out evenly to mark where each should be hung.
With the instruments evenly spaced, use their necks as a guide to mark the spots on the plank where holes will be drilled. The doorstops should be screwed into place on either side of the instrument’s neck just before it widens for the headstock.
Remove instruments to a safe place and drill small holes in the plank.
Remove the protective rubber caps and screw the doorstops securely to the plank. (The rubber caps won’t be needed for the display.)
Locate studs and secure the plank to the wall.

Decorating a Music Room

Once musicians have settled on their focal point, they can choose all sorts of accents to bring their musical retreat to life. They’ll have no problems lining the walls with posters, memorabilia, or artwork to complement their personal style.

Garage sales and eBay are great spots for finding dirt-cheap musical instruments that for one reason or other will never play again. A dented up French horn can glitter on the wall like a rhinestone. With a little rewiring, broken down violins clarinets, or saxophones can make great lamps. Violin scrolls can be transformed into funky coat hooks, a cornet could make a classy candlestick, and an old piano bench might be just the coffee table a musician is looking for.

Tambourines, bongos, gongs, large African drums, colorful maracas, carved animal guiros, and rain sticks are just a few examples of inexpensive percussion instruments that add an exotic flare to a music room. Some woodwinds are also cheap ways to decorate. A pottery vase of wooden flutes or a clay ocarina is the perfect accent for topping an in-table or bookshelf.

Designing a Music Room Where People Will Want to Jam

Musicians should think about seating in their new music room. It’s a given they’ll want at least one comfortable chair, but such a cool music room shouldn’t always be enjoyed alone. They’ll probably want to include chairs and couches for friends who come to jam.

Acoustics are a key consideration when musicians think about playing in a particular space. If the spot being made over for a music room has too much reverb, musicians can add area rugs or musical themed tapestries to dampen the sound.

A music room may need several electric outlets for equipment like amps, mikes, a stereo, and recording gear. The need for outlets can be multiplied when friends bring their instruments to jam.

Musicians should consider the climate of the room they choose. A room on one of the home’s main floors will provide the best lighting and ambiance for jams. It will also prevent lugging heavy cases up and down the stairs. More importantly though, a good climate will insure the best care for valuable instruments. Cool, damp basements, or hot, dry attics can wreak havoc on musical instruments.

With a little creativity, it won’t take long to convert an ordinary room with stacks of musty instrument cases into a musical showcase. Musicians probably already have most of what they need, and over time, they’ll have fun tracking down all the finishing touches. All that’s left is to sit back and enjoy a perfect retreat for practicing, jamming, and relaxing.

For other ideas, decorators can check out articles covering rooms designed with safari, East Indian, and garden themes.

The copyright of the article How to Design a Music Room in Interior Decorating is owned by Marcy Paulson. Permission to republish How to Design a Music Room in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Guitars and Violin Displayed in a Music Room	Inexpensive Percussion to Decorate Music Room	Inexpensive Woodwinds to Decorate Music Room
Viola Lamp as Decor in Music Room	Music-Themed Art to Decorate Music Room