The indoor environment and its sound level, where we humans spend so much time, affects us both through how we feel and how we perform. Schools, public places and workplaces such as offices, industry or warehouses, to name just a few examples, are places that often can be improved acoustically.

There are many interior products that are made for sound absorption, sound attenuation and diffusion of sound. By adding this kinds of products to a room you achieve less echo, makes it easier to hear each other, and reduces disturbing noise.

How should I decorate and with what kind of products?

Sound absorbers in the ceiling are usually the easiest and most important surface in a room to fix. In a suspended ceiling, you can install full-covering sound absorbers, which are mounted in supports or with jumpers. Using sound absorbers in ceilings reduces sound reflections, i.e. the echo, which otherwise occurs when sound waves hit hard surfaces.

 

Screen walls and furniture are good for both capturing sound, i.e. absorbing it, but also spreading the sound waves out into the room, which is called diffusion. This dampens the sound between different places in the room, e.g. from a machine or between workstations. Soft screen walls are sound absorbing, both spreading and absorbing sound. Soft furniture such as sofas, cushions and chairs also pick up sound and spread it around the room. This provides a more pleasant sound environment in the room and usually contributes to making the place more appealing and attractive.

 

Sound-absorbing wall decorations are also an easy way to improve the sound environment. Hard wall surfaces reflect and amplify sound levels, and also cause sounds to be heard at greater distances. Do you have wall surfaces that are gaping empty? Then you can mount sound absorbers on the wall in a corridor, like a decorative printing, or put sound absorbers above the coffee machine or printer.

 

Our last tips are not directly related to furniture, but can still make a big impact:

- Carpets and acoustic floors work in some businesses, although they can sometimes be more demanding to install.
- Furniture feet on chairs, for example in dining rooms, can prevent repeated loud noises.
- Soft-closing drawers on cabinets that are opened frequently reduce noise.
- Hang curtains on large window surfaces.
- Check whether it is possible to move loud machines, for example coffee machines or copiers, to places where people will not be disturbed as much.
- Plants and bookshelves are not only beautiful, they help spread the sound and reduce it between different sound sources and zones.

 

Do you have questions about how to decorate to get a better sound level?

Please contact us!.