I've never really looked into it in the past, into improving the acoustics in the house. But since we have laid a cast floor in our previous house and have now also completed a large number of renovations. With our renovations, we really take into account that we try to reduce the reverberation with the design of our interior, for example. By making the choices below you can improve the acoustics in your home.
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By making our houses more modern, using sleeker design and materials and removing walls to create more open spaces, we are actually playing 'the reverberation' card. Yet there are solutions to ensure better acoustics in the house, despite a modern and sleek interior.
Good acoustics in your home can't hurt, but it can be very annoying. For example, do you have a party at home, or are you giving a dinner for a few more people? If the acoustics are bad, you can hardly understand each other. Playing and noisy children can also be a nuisance in a house with poor acoustics. Good acoustics in the house means more peace of mind. If the acoustics in your home are not quite top yet, you can improve it with the tips below.
Of course it starts with the basics. So if you are going to lay a new floor, you can already make the right choice at the base for good acoustics. For example, a cast floor (which we had in our previous house) does not really provide the right basis. Although this is better than, for example, residential concrete if you look at the acoustics. Yet we have now consciously opted for a PVC floor in the house. This floor is even 'softer' than a cast floor and therefore already contributes to better acoustics. Of course, carpeting would be even better, but hey… a floor in the living room and kitchen that cleans well is also worth something.
You probably already know that hanging fabric curtains is very good for improving the acoustics in the house. If you don't like ordinary curtains, take a look at the possibilities of fabric roller blinds or roman blinds. At Onlinerolschermen.nl you will find quite a few options in the field of window coverings that reduce the reverberation in the house and absorb the sound. The black wooden blinds that we have now have been an aesthetic choice for me, not so much an acoustic one. If you also really want to hang blinds, you can always opt for inbetweens to do something extra on the acoustics.
Fabric furniture can also play a role. Think, for example, of a fabric sofa instead of a leather sofa, this also absorbs more sound, so that you have a reduction of reverberation in the house.
The absorption of the sound depends on the type of fabric used. You can undoubtedly imagine that velor works better for the acoustics than, for example, a polyester inbetween.
It's a no-brainer, of course, but it should not be missing from the list of tips to improve the acoustics at home. A rug. Is the acoustics in the house very bad? Then opt for a high-pile rug. That will always absorb more sound than, for example, a jute rug. It is also the case that materials such as wool and the like also contribute to better acoustics. In addition, it is also nice for the feet and gives a very cozy look.
One of my needs – more daylight in the house – is also a pitfall for the acoustics. We have broken down quite a few walls to create more light in the house. This creates larger spaces with longer walls that are not interrupted. This allows sound to move better through the room, resulting in faster reverberation. With a room divider, for example, you can improve the acoustics a bit. In this case, preferably do not opt for a glass and metal diver, but for example a bamboo divider that absorbs more sound.
You can also opt for a room divider in the form of an open bookcase in which you can put a lot of plants. Plants at home are good for your health anyway. They improve air quality and relieve stress. But did you also know that plants in the house improve the acoustics?
Nowadays there are special wall panels to improve the acoustics in the house. You may not always be able to easily get rid of these wall panels, but there are also other applications that you can implement yourself. For example, we ourselves covered the side and the top of the kitchen cabinet with slats. A super fun DIY project! This wooden slatted wall has not only become a beautiful eye-catcher in our kitchen, but also good for the sound in the house.
In addition to being able to work with wood, felt wall decoration is also a very smart option. For example, I have super nice patterns from Wallfelt to attach to the wall. More about this will follow in a blog shortly. Not only because it is beautiful, but also extremely suitable for improving the acoustics in the house.
Are you a bookworm? Then this solution is definitely suitable for you! The more books you place in the living room, the more you improve the acoustics in your home. Books have a sound-absorbing function.
Wallpaper will also help you reduce the reverberation in your home. Tight painted walls will improve the acoustics less than walls that are papered. If you also choose luxury wallpapers such as leather, you will see that this does even more for the acoustics in the house.
The right wall decoration can also help you. For example, a fabric wall hanging in the house or a macramé wall hanging will be good for improving the acoustics. Especially if you compare that with hanging nothing on your wall, or a photo on metal or something like that.
