What are best colors to paint walls in a trophy room?

[Ridge Top Ranch]

Going to be building a trophy room in the next 12 months. What are considered the best colors to paint sheet rock walls? Flat or semi gloss paint?

Will coordinate finish on trim and floor to match wall color.

Thanks AH Members!

 

[CAustin]

Hi ridge top! I think this depends on what you like. Many of my trophies hang on walls that are light brown with white trim on some wood work and stain to match the hardwood floors on the baseboards. Other trophies hang on walls that are an off yellow which makes the darker pelts really pop. These things are simply what my wife and I like and nothing more.

 

[billc]

Color is a personal choice but a soft off white goes with anything you want to do. Most people go to dark normally. I would tell you use the best flat wall paint you can find. You can touch flat paint up if you mark the wall hanging something. Semi gloss will not touch up but is more durable but shows any bad spot in drywall.

You can also paint 3 walls one color and then one wall a darker color to get a nice look.

 

[Ridge Top Ranch]

Hi ridge top! I think this depends on what you like. Many of my trophies hang on walls that are light brown with white trim on some wood work and stain to match the hardwood floors on the baseboards. Other trophies hang on walls that are an off yellow which makes the darker pelts really pop. These things are simply what my wife and I like and nothing more.

Thanks for feedback. Thinking light tan or pale green.

 

[billc]

Thanks for feedback. Thinking light tan or pale green.

Tan and green go well together with pure white trim or wood stain trim. Always use a white on the ceiling though.

One tip I can give you and it is how a do it with my clients. Pick the floor first and that will help with wall color. You can pull a match color out of the floor if it has more then one color in it. You can get paint made to any color but finding a floor you like is not as easy or one may really jump out at you but not work with wall color you may have picked already.

 

[buck wild]

If you are building, best advice I could give isn't about wall color. You mentioned Sheetrock. If costs permit I'd seriously urge you to put in plywood before the Sheetrock. It will give you so much more hanging options and piece of mind.
As for color, I'm partial to a beige to drab olive in eggshell

 

[BWH]

My wife is an interior designer.... and not a fan of all my "stuff"..... but she deals. Depending upon what & where, it really depends. Typically, flat or eggshell.... something in a khaki/tan is the norm. However, browns & greens have looked supercool.... even blue & reds. Depends on room, animals, lighting, width & height..... keep in mind. I am no expert.... I've just witnessed my wife doctor up & mov my shit for 20 years.

 

[sheephunterab]

Tan and green are both good choices. Warm earth tones!

 

[jduckhunter]

I was going to go with sheet rock too but I decided on tongue and groove western red cedar over 5/8" plywood instead. Now I can hang anything any where without worrying about where the studs are in the wall. And the cedar goes pretty well with most critters. It did require some patience putting it up though.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I think the key is to keep the color a lighter shade, so the animals don't blend into the wall. This is a link to a good article on trophy design, etc.
http://www.outdoorhub.com/how-to/2015/01/29/photos-how-to-design-trophy-room/

Another good article:
http://www.petersenshunting.com/hunting-culture/outfitting-your-trophy-room/

 

[curtism1234]

I like what @jduckhunter has done

While this photo is just some google search sample, it's what the walls are painted in our home (though the Mrs absolutely hates it, but it was my house first lol). I think it works well with just about every brown colored species. That mountain goat probably wouldn't go

 

[redriver]

I like a medium color like tan on 2 opposing walls and a darker color, like teal, on the other 2 walls, it gives a nice contrast. Plywood behind your cedar planks, drywall etc is a must and if you can, no windows as sunlight (even with Low e glass) is really bad for mounts. I did a ton or research before building my trophy room and no windows and plywood were the best tips. Another good idea is if you expect really heavy mounts like elephant, eland or buffalo etc put some blocks between studs at various locations and make some notes as to where they are located for future mounts. Also if you have gable ends, balloon frame them versus building your gable on top of the wall which creates a pivot point and is not as strong.

 

[Ridge Top Ranch]

Getting a lot of good advice. Thanks everyone. Keep em coming!

 

[billc]

A few other ideas is do one wall with concrete stone for a nice look or even do lower half of the wall in rock or wood then paint above. Get oak plywood and some 1x4 to make like a picture frame look and make a panel look 4 ft high.

 

[Red Leg]

I personally like darker richer colors with earth tones. They create great contrasts and yet still allow art, guns, wildlife and books blend well together. You will see similar tones - often in greys - in most museums. Because of the nature of our displays, I tend to prefer rich greens and browns. I tend not to like wood paneling (not criticism - just a personal taste thing) because it can be busy and conflict with what you are trying to display.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

This is a snapshot of two walls from the plans for my man cave. Building a house to retire in and construction will start later this year with anticipation of retirement next year. My other passion after hunting is LSU football, but suffice to say I won't be painting the walls purple or gold. The room is 20 ft x 30 ft with wood panels on the lower wall section, to about 8 ft. Above that is sheet rock, backed with 3/4 inch plywood. Sidewall height is 16ft and the end wall is about 20 ft. The other long wall is similar to one shown and the other end wall will have the fireplace, which we haven't finalized the look yet.

Before I started working with an architect, I bought a book on Amazon called "Trophy Rooms Around The World" and that turned out to be a waste of money. Most of the trophy rooms in the book were over the top, over crowded and absurd looking.

 

[johnnyblues]

Thanks for feedback. Thinking light tan or pale green.

Agree completely with your color choices. When I move to Georgia I will do pale green. My house down there in the basement has pale green looks great , even my wife commented my trophies would look good on that color. I currently have them mounted on yellow which also makes there coats stand out nicely.

 

[K-man]

Going to be building a trophy room in the next 12 months. What are considered the best colors to paint sheet rock walls? Flat or semi gloss paint?

Will coordinate finish on trim and floor to match wall color.

Thanks AH Members!

great question but like others have said, pick your paint color last after every other color has been chosen. I prefer eggshell or semi-gloss over flat for less light absorption. Also more durable than flat. Paint is the easiest thing to change later if you do something different.

 

[Red Leg]

This is a snapshot of two walls from the plans for my man cave. Building a house to retire in and construction will start later this year with anticipation of retirement next year. My other passion after hunting is LSU football, but suffice to say I won't be painting the walls purple or gold. The room is 20 ft x 30 ft with wood panels on the lower wall section, to about 8 ft. Above that is sheet rock, backed with 3/4 inch plywood. Sidewall height is 16ft and the end wall is about 20 ft. The other long wall is similar to one shown and the other end wall will have the fireplace, which we haven't finalized the look yet.

Before I started working with an architect, I bought a book on Amazon called "Trophy Rooms Around The World" and that turned out to be a waste of money. Most of the trophy rooms in the book were over the top, over crowded and absurd looking.

View attachment 177714

Lovely design. The wainscotting will give it a classic old world look - very English manor or 19th century German/Austrian hunting lodge; Probably the sort of architectural references which would give you some finishing ideas. The plywood will be a Godsend. Art and trophies need to be in the right place - not where you locate a stud. And you are correct - the purple and gold regrettably won't work.

However, as a South Louisiana native I share your passion - Geaux Tigers!

 

[gizmo]

If you can as been mentioned you should back everything with 5/8 plywood, not particle board though. This will make the wall strong enough to be able to place most mounts anywhere you like w/out having to find a stud.
Lighting is the second most important thing IMO. The first set of ceiling lights need to be roughly 13" from the wall, then depending upon the distance from ceiling center roughly half way directed at the mounts with a broader center ceiling light. If possible underlighting will neutralize any remaining shadows. Use a soft non colored light.
Then color, a soft color is always best. This way the focus is on the animal not the wall color.