Accented musical collection hits high note

DEAR GAIL: We have a large collection of musical instruments, which are now stored in a couple of closets. We started collecting them during our vacations. The funny thing is that we have no musical backgrounds.

We would like to display them without having them become overwhelming in our home. What ideas can you share so that we can enjoy them every day? — David R.

DEAR DAVID: What a fun and different collection, especially since you are not in the music business. With any large collection, it’s important that it is broken up and placed in a couple of areas versus displaying all the pieces together. You want to be able to see and enjoy each one of the items in your collection and not have your home look like a music store. So let me share a couple of ideas.

The smaller instruments, like your flute, piccolo, harmonica, triangle, castanet, trumpet and cornet, can be placed in a curio cabinet. The curio should have glass shelves, a mirrored back and lighting so that you can see the instruments from all sides and really enjoy them when the curio is lit. Do not just lay the instruments on the shelves, purchase appropriate stands to place them on. This will allow you to see them as well as create height and depth.

It also would be nice to gather up items to accompany the instruments and place them on the shelves together. For instance, with the trumpet you can add a Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass album, marching band hat, picture of a marching band and a mute. With the castanets, add a sombrero, picture of a flamenco dancer and sheet music from “Man of La Mancha.” Or, how about some jazz pictures and souvenirs from New Orleans to go with your clarinet? What you’re trying to create is a vignette of like items that relate to the instrument. It will bring added interest to your collection.

You also could purchase individual shelves for the instruments and create a wall gallery. All the shelves should be the same style and color, and deep enough for the instrument to sit on. Place them on a wall that you are able to walk up to, but not one that is in a main traffic area like a hallway.

Instead of shelves, you could have clear Plexiglas boxes made for each instrument, which would protect them from dust.

To be very different, place your wall gallery in the dining room over a buffet piece. Behind it you can mirror, wallpaper with sheet music or even paint clef symbols, music notes or titles of songs.

Along with displaying them on the wall or in a curio cabinet, you could use a china hutch, if you have one. Don’t be afraid of using the hutch for something other than china.

In the hutch, use the top shelf for a group of your percussion instruments: tambourine, triangle, cymbal and drum sticks. On the second shelf, place the smaller wind instruments: piccolo, flute, clarinet and oboe. Then, on the bottom row put the heavier wind instruments: trumpet, cornet and bugle. Be sure to add those extra items such as pictures, sheet music and music albums so that you don’t just have rows of instruments.

For the larger instruments that you have — saxophone, trombone, tubas, banjos and violas — create a vignette in a corner of your room with an instrument, music stand, stool, pictures, sheet music, music case and something extra such as a band uniform or orchestral dress placed on a dress form. This would be very attractive in a foyer as it would be just a taste of what is to come with the rest of your collection.

You also can group your instruments together by type — wind, percussion and string — and have them in three different areas of the home. Another idea is to completely theme a room in music. It could be your guest room, powder room, game room or loft.

I agree that you don’t want to overwhelm your home with your collection, so only select a couple of areas to display your instruments. If your collection is large enough, switch out the instruments every six months. After a couple of months we no longer see some of the things around us, so by switching them out, you might appreciate seeing them again.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.