For the dedicated hunter, a trophy isn't just a mount on the wall; it's a tangible memory, a chapter from an epic adventure, and a testament to skill and perseverance. You want to display these cherished symbols with pride, creating a space that not only honors the hunt but also enhances your home. But how do you create a truly exceptional trophy room that’s both functional and inspiring, especially when space is at a premium or your collection is growing?
This guide dives deep into designing the ultimate trophy room, offering practical, problem-solving advice for hunters. We'll cover everything from foundational planning and aesthetic choices to the innovative ways Full Range Hanging Systems can revolutionize your display, ensuring your trophies are showcased perfectly and preserved for years to come.
Your Hunting Legacy: Crafting a Trophy Room That Tells Your Story
Every trophy has a story, and your trophy room is the ultimate storyteller. It’s more than just a collection of animals; it's a reflection of your passion, your adventures across continents, and the experiences you've accumulated. The goal is to create a warm, inviting space that you, your family, and even non-hunting guests can appreciate. This personal sanctuary should evoke the same joy as the hunt itself, serving as a constant reminder of the miles traveled and the hardships overcome.
This space isn't just for viewing your trophies, impressive as they may be; it’s for reliving. It’s the setting in which you can tell your stories again and again, sharing much more than a visual of the animal you hunted. You can make the hunt come alive in your trophy room, pointing to each mount and recounting your experiences that brought the animal into your trophy room.
Laying the Foundation: Essential Considerations for Your Custom Trophy Space
Before you hang that first mount, thoughtful planning is crucial. A well-designed trophy room blends a certain degree of artistic vision and the practical functionality of trophy room design.
Defining Your Room's Purpose
What do you envision for this space? Will it be:
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An area meant exclusively for displaying trophies?
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A trophy room crossed with another space that serves as a functional living space while also incorporating your collection?
Determining the overall needs for the space will help to guide every subsequent design decision, from size to layout to lighting.
Architectural & Structural Integrity
For significant collections, consider these architectural details:
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Ceiling Height: While it may be tempting to go high, excessively tall ceilings can look out of place. A height of 12 to 14 feet is often ideal for trophy presentation without creating an awkward effect.
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Double Doors: This might seem obvious once you think of it, but it can and does happen that homeowners do not foresee the need to install double doors. That goes for the trophy room itself as well as for the main entryways, hallways, etc, that a trophy will have to travel through to make it to its final destination. Aesthetically speaking, we can assume you want to impress your visitors, in which case, double doors also make a strong impression.
Environmental Control: Protecting Your Investment
Your taxidermy mounts are an investment, and proper environmental control is vital for their longevity.
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Avoid Natural Light: Protecting your mounts from the sun is paramount. Ultraviolet (UV) light from windows will damage mounts over time, leading to irreversible fading and degradation of materials over time. Windows also consume valuable wall space taht could otherwise be used for mounting, and hinder accent lighting. The best option is usually to exclude windows altogether, but if you just can’t give up the view, you can consider putting a UV-protective film over your window to reduce that damaging sunlight.
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Temperature and Humidity: Dead animal skin needs consistently appropriate temperature and humidity. Maintain an optimal temperature between 65-72°F (18-22°C). Humidity is equally important; set yours to a steady 40-50% indefinitely.
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Air Grate Placement: Plan your supply/return air grates wisely. Poorly placed grates can detract from the aesthetics of your trophy room walls, as well as take up prime display space.
Strategic Placement and Dynamic Presentation
Once the foundation is set, it's time to think about how your trophies will populate the space. This is where strategic placement and innovative display options truly shine, helping you create a space-saving trophy wall that's both visually stunning and highly functional.
Deer Mount Ideas & Beyond: Layout for Impact
Don't just fill your walls from corner to corner. Part of the trick to displaying your trophies in a way worthy of the hunt that bagged them is leaving enough space, allowing viewers the room to give it particular attention.
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Focal Points & Grouping: Decide where each animal will be located. Face big game mounts toward the center of the room or a dedicated focal point. Consider creating dynamic-looking dioramas with different animals. For example, a main wall could be dedicated to mule deer, another to whitetails, and a corner for a specific African hunt.
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Mix It Up: If you have multiple trophies of the same species, it’s definitely a good idea to vary their style and positioning. Deer head forms, for instance, range from alert and upright to a slightly lowered, stretched pose. Mixing these styles adds visual interest and prevents a monotonous look.
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Optimal Height: Avoid hanging big game heads too low. This prevents people from bumping into them, keeps them out of reach of children and pets, and ensures they are viewed at an engaging height. For antlered trophies, aim for a height where the antlers don't touch the ceiling. Fish and waterfowl should not be positioned as if swimming or flying into a corner.
The Role of Mount Type in Room Design
Your choice of mount (shoulder, European, or full-body) significantly impacts how you can design your space:
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Shoulder Mounts: The most popular. They're space-efficient compared to full-body mounts, making them suitable for many rooms. They do a solid job of capturing the animal's natural energy and offer customizable poses, but without the inconveniences that come with full-body mounts.
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European Mounts (Skull Mounts): These offer a minimalist and cost-effective display without using much space. They are versatile: usable on walls, stands, or even as centerpieces.
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Full-Body Mounts: There’s no denying these make a dramatic statement. While they require more care, expense, and significant space, when well-done, they capture the entire animal in lifelike, dynamic poses, serving as stunning centerpieces for larger rooms.
How a Pivoting Deer Mount Bracket Transforms Your Display
Traditional fixed mounts limit your options, forcing you to commit to a single angle and often leading to cluttered, static displays. This is where the game-changing option of a pivoting deer mount bracket comes into play, offering unparalleled flexibility and truly enabling a dynamic space-saving trophy wall.
Unlock Dynamic Displays with 180° Swing
Imagine adjusting your trophy to catch the perfect light, making room for new furniture, or simply changing the room's dynamic on a whim. This is the power of the 180° swing offered by Full Range Hanging Systems.
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Optimal Viewing from Any Angle: Whether you're entertaining guests, watching a game from a different part of the room, or just want a fresh perspective on your trophy, the 180° swing allows you to easily reorient your mount.
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Easier Cleaning & Maintenance: There will be fewer awkward stretches or precarious balancing acts. Simply swing your mount away from the wall to dust and clean behind it and the mount itself.
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Versatile Deer Mount Ideas: The 180° swing unlocks a range of display possibilities. You can create multi-trophy clusters, utilize corners effectively, or even reconfigure displays as new trophies are added, without needing new holes in your wall.
The Power of Steel
Your trophies represent incredible effort and hold immense personal value. You need a hanging system you can trust implicitly. Full Range Hanging Systems are built to provide peace of mind for the hunter:
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Robust Construction: Made with heavy-duty materials like 3/16” Steel Plates and 1” x 3/8” Steel Swing Arms, these systems are engineered to securely hold substantial weight, well beyond the typical deer mount.
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Protecting Your Investment: Unlike more flimsy alternatives, the robust steel ensures your prized taxidermy is safe from accidental bumps, sagging, or catastrophic falls. This reliability is as important as the quality of the mount itself.
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Built to Last: Just like your most trusted hunting gear, Full Range Hanging Systems are designed for longevity, providing a stable and secure display solution that will endure for generations.
Easy DIY Installation for Your Trophy System
As a hunter, you're used to being self-sufficient, preparing your gear, and executing plans. The simple DIY installation of Full Range Hanging Systems will be easy.
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Straightforward Process: The systems come with all necessary components and clear instructions, making installation a confident and rewarding experience for any handy homeowner.
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Save Time and Money: Avoid the hassle and expense of hiring contractors. You can transform your trophy space on your own terms, when it's convenient for you.
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Direct Control: Because you're installing it, you have direct control over the precise placement and height, ensuring it meets your vision for the perfect display. Remember, all wall-mounted systems should be attached to a wall stud for maximum security.
Creating an Immersive Environment
A truly great trophy room integrates more than just taxidermy. It’s an immersive environment that stimulates the senses and deepens the appreciation of your passion.
Optimal Lighting: The Single Most Important Technical Aspect
Lighting serves both function and aesthetic. It dramatically impacts how your trophies are perceived. Consider three key lighting layers:
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Perimeter Lighting: Use this to surround the entire room, diffusing potentially harsh shadows.
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Accent Lighting: An ideal tool for highlighting individual mounts. Use track lighting or spotlights to draw the eye to specific features of each trophy.
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General Lighting: Provides ambient light for the center of the room.
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Dimmer Switches: These are your best friend, allowing you to adjust the lighting based on the time of day or occasion, from a bright daytime showcase to a cozy evening, winding down with storytelling.
Thoughtful Decor and Furnishings
Your furnishings and art add texture, accents, and themes that personalize the room.
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Color Palette: Lean towards neutral and earthy hues, such as various shades of brown, green, or beige. These selections will enhance the natural beauty of your taxidermy without overwhelming or competing for visual dominance. Though some like wood for its beauty and the feeling of being in nature that it contributes, others avoid paneled wood walls; wood has a very strong aesthetic that can detract from your mounts.
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Furnishings: Leather sofas, rustic wood tables, and antique pieces can add character. Consider African artifacts, Navajo rugs, sporting art, bronze sculptures, or even your own collection of vintage hunting equipment. These don't have to cost a fortune; unique finds can come from antique shops or online marketplaces.
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Integrating Other Functions: A fireplace, pool table, library of hunting books, gun safe, or wet bar can enhance the room's functionality and comfort, making it a space where anyone feels at home.
Building The Ultimate Showcase
For the hunter fortunate enough to have multiple prized trophies, particularly of similar species like whitetail, the Double System from Full Range Hanging Systems offers an unrivaled solution that epitomizes the concepts of a space-saving trophy wall and dynamic display.
This innovative system is specifically designed to display two mounts with maximum impact and efficiency. With two 8” arms, each offering a 180° pivot, you can angle your trophies independently, creating unique visual relationships or simply optimizing their viewing from various points in the room. Built with the same robust steel strength (3/16” Steel Plates, 1” x 3/8” Steel Swing Arms) as other Full Range products, it securely supports two mounts up to 35 lbs. each (70 lbs. total). It comes as a complete kit for straightforward DIY installation, making it an ideal choice for the homeowner looking to elevate their dual-trophy display without sacrificing precious wall or floor space.
Ready to Elevate Your Trophy Room?
Designing a trophy room is an exciting journey, allowing you to bring the wild into your home in a way that’s both respectful and deeply personal. By focusing on practical design, environmental controls, and the flexibility of Full Range Hanging Systems, you can create a space that not only preserves your hunting memories but also becomes a vibrant, dynamic centerpiece of your home.
Ready to transform your trophy room into a dynamic showcase that reflects your passion and adventures? Explore the full range of options that give your hard-earned trophies the presentation they deserve.
Learn more about the Double System and make it yours today!