At Witley Jones, we understand that every music department has its own unique challenges. From protecting valuable instruments to creating flexible teaching spaces that inspire creativity, carefully designed furniture, including specialised storage for expensive instruments, which is essential in a school music room, can make a significant difference to both students and staff.
We recently completed three bespoke music department projects: The Hall School, Greshams School and Bromsgrove School. Each school required adaptable furniture solutions to suit various educational needs, improve storage, maximise available space, and enhance the functionality of their music facilities.
With extensive experience in planning and delivering bespoke music room furniture projects, we work closely with teachers, architects and project teams to design and manufacture custom music department furniture that is practical, durable and sympathetic to each school’s environment. Careful planning is key to developing tailored solutions that ensure safety, security, and optimal use of space.
Bespoke Music Department Furniture for The Hall School, London
The Hall School is a leading independent day school for boys in Belsize Park, North London, where music is an essential part of the curriculum and plays an important role in school life. As a music school with a dedicated department, The Hall School required bespoke furniture solutions to support both teaching and performance activities while making the best possible use of the available space. The school could choose from a variety of storage options and finishes to suit their specific needs and preferences.
After consulting with the school, we designed and manufactured a range of custom solutions, including:
- A bespoke musical instrument storage wall
- Mobile cello storage racks
- Specialist keyboard desks with integrated keyboard trays
All bespoke furniture was designed to suit the school’s environment and requirements. The best furniture for a school music room prioritises ergonomics, flexibility, and acoustic control.
Custom Instrument Storage Wall
One of the key requirements was to create a secure, space-efficient storage solution for a wide variety of musical instruments. The storage wall was specifically designed to house instruments securely and to provide additional protection for valuable items. To achieve this, our team conducted a detailed site survey, carefully measuring and cataloguing every instrument to ensure each had a dedicated storage space.
The result was a fully bespoke instrument storage wall with individually sized alcoves designed specifically around the school’s collection. This storage wall provided a range of storage options for different instrument types, improving organisation and accessibility while maximising valuable teaching space within the music department.
By providing clearly designated storage areas, including dedicated space for sheet music, the school created a safer, tidier learning environment while protecting instruments from accidental damage.
Effective music classroom design includes maximising floor space and providing easy access to instruments and sheet music.
Mobile Cello Storage Racks
The school also needed a practical solution for cello storage. Previously, instruments were often left in corridors or other temporary locations, where they could be damaged or obstruct walkways.
To solve this issue, we designed mobile cello storage racks mounted on wheels, allowing staff to easily move the units when rooms needed to be reconfigured for drama lessons, rehearsals, or other activities. These adaptable racks support the needs of different music groups, such as orchestras, choirs, and ensembles, by providing flexible storage that can be customised for various setups. The flexibility of the design means the space can adapt quickly to different teaching requirements without compromising instrument safety. Flexible and mobile tables and storage also facilitate diverse teaching methodologies and collaboration. Music classroom furniture should be adaptable and flexible to accommodate various teaching methods and activities, including orchestras, choirs, and solo performances.
Bespoke Keyboard Desks
In addition, we fitted out the music classroom with bespoke desking featuring integrated keyboard trays, recognising that keyboards are essential instruments in music education. The desks were specifically designed to integrate keyboards seamlessly, supporting students as they play, record, and edit music, and enhancing interactive and creative learning.
These specialist desks not only create a more ergonomic and organised teaching environment but also support the use of touch-based technology for interactive learning. Adjustable music stands and ergonomic chairs with flexible backs were included to help musicians maintain proper posture, prevent slouching, and promote better diaphragmatic movement and comfort, ultimately enhancing focus, breathing, and musical development during practical music lessons.
Furnishing the Britten Building at Gresham’s School
Gresham’s School is one of the UK’s leading independent co-educational schools, catering for pupils from Nursery through to Sixth Form. Music is central to life at the school, and as an All-Steinway School, Gresham’s demonstrates a strong commitment to musical excellence by providing students with high-quality facilities and equipment. For this project, a comprehensive range of school music room furniture products was provided, including custom storage units, instrument racks, and flexible furniture solutions tailored for music education spaces.
We were delighted to support the school in the development of the new Britten Building, the culmination of a £6.5 million, five-year investment project designed to enhance music provision across the school. The school was able to order bespoke furniture and storage solutions, available in a variety of finishes to complement the building’s aesthetic and meet specific functional requirements.
Open floor space was maintained for movement and dance activities, while practical arrangements focused on flexibility, clear sightlines, and acoustic management to support effective music teaching and learning.
Specialist Furniture for Music Teaching Spaces
Our team planned and designed a set of versatile school music room furniture arrangements to suit the needs of different teaching spaces, including:
- 10 peri (peripatetic teaching) rooms
- 5 classrooms
- Music store rooms
- Administrative offices
- The café area
- A private dining room
Careful planning ensured that each space had furniture tailored to its specific function and adaptable to suit varying requirements, while maintaining a consistent aesthetic throughout the building. For focused theory lessons or large-group rehearsals, rows or grids were used, whereas semicircle or horseshoe arrangements encouraged eye contact, better listening, and clear sightlines to the teacher or conductor.
Secure Musical Instrument Storage
A key aspect of the project involved designing specialist music storage units that safely and securely house instruments, with additional security features tailored to protect valuable equipment. These bespoke storage solutions offer a variety of storage options for different instrument types, improving organisation and ensuring students and staff can access instruments efficiently during lessons and rehearsals.
Alongside the storage furniture, we also supplied classroom tables and chairs designed for durability, comfort and daily educational use.
Sufficient acoustic protection was ensured to enhance sound quality and minimise external noise interference.
Office and Hospitality Furniture
Beyond the teaching spaces, we also manufactured fitted office furniture, secure noticeboards, a solid oak bench seat and a bespoke private dining table, all available in a range of finishes and configurations for the school to choose from.
The dining table was designed in modular sections to accommodate up to 20 people while allowing the school to easily reconfigure the layout for more informal occasions and events. This flexibility ensured the space could support a variety of functions throughout the academic year. It’s important to note that music education spaces typically require twice the floor space of a standard classroom, approximately 2.8 to 3.3 m² per person.
Music Department Furniture and Acoustic Panels for Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School recently opened Routh Hall as its new dedicated music room, specifically designed to suit the needs of students and staff. This inviting space was carefully planned to provide ample room for instruments, sheet music, and uniforms, ensuring an optimal environment for music practice and performance across both the Prep and Senior School.
Working closely with Robothams Architects, our team helped develop furniture designs for the part-refurbished, part-new-build facility.
Bespoke Furniture for Classrooms and Practice Rooms
The project included the manufacture and installation of a wide range of adaptable, bespoke furniture solutions designed with user needs in mind for:
- Music classrooms
- Peri rooms
- Music store rooms
- Staff offices
Furniture installed throughout the building included:
- Bespoke keyboard desks
- Musical instrument storage units
- Classroom tables and chairs
- Pin boards
- Fitted office furniture
Flexible, high-quality furniture allowed for smooth transitions between seated playing and group interaction, maximising space efficiency for various musical activities. Soft surfaces such as upholstered chairs, carpets, and heavy curtains, along with acoustic treatment furniture like specialised wall panels, were used to absorb sound and improve clarity in the music rooms.
Every item was designed to complement the modern music facilities while supporting the practical needs of students, teachers and visiting music tutors.
Acoustic Panels for the Auditorium
As part of the project, we were also commissioned to design and install seven bespoke acoustic panels within the auditorium performance space.
Mounted along the walls and across the rear of the stage, the panels help improve sound quality and acoustic performance for rehearsals, concerts and school productions. In addition to their acoustic function, the panels were available in a variety of finishes to complement the venue’s professional appearance and atmosphere.
Creating Functional and Inspiring Music Learning Environments
These three projects demonstrate how bespoke furniture solutions, along with a wide range of offerings for music departments, including various instrument storage options, can transform music spaces by improving organisation, protecting instruments, and creating flexible learning environments tailored to each school’s needs.
From custom instrument storage and specialist keyboard desks to acoustic treatments and fitted furniture, every project was carefully designed to be adaptable and to suit the unique requirements of each school, supporting music education while making the most of available space.
At Witley Jones, we continue to work with schools, colleges and universities across the UK to create high-quality bespoke educational furniture solutions that combine functionality, durability, adaptability, and thoughtful design.
Looking to Transform Your School’s Music Department?
Whether you need bespoke instrument storage, specialist music classroom furniture, acoustic panels or flexible teaching spaces, Witley Jones enables schools to choose from a range of solutions and order custom furniture to fit their needs.
Our team’s experience ensures a perfect fit for each project, working closely with schools, architects and facilities teams. Careful planning is provided throughout the process to design and manufacture high-quality bespoke furniture that improves organisation, maximises space and enhances the learning environment for both students and staff.
To discuss your next music department project, contact Witley Jones today and discover how we can help bring your vision to life.