8 Ways to Soundproof a Room Using Home Decor
It is a common experience to hear noise coming through the ceiling, door, and windows if you live in a noisy apartment, or if your house is close to a busy road. Noise can be a nuisance for people who work from home or those who need to have sound sleep.
It may not be possible to stop noisy neighbors from making noise or prevent kids from playing in the garden, but it is possible to use home decor techniques to soundproof a room, whether it is to prevent noise from entering your apartment or you are conscious of not disturbing your neighbors.
Regardless of your reason, one of the following methods should be of help, when you are considering home decor in soundproofing your home.
Paints that absorbs sound
If you are considering giving your room a facelift and you are tired of noise intruding your privacy, then give the soundproof paint a nod. This is one of the most inconspicuous methods of insulating an apartment against noise.
Surprisingly, it works at the mid-level frequencies, which is the level most human speech operates. It will not work if you next door neighbor is learning to play piano, or against noise from vehicles on the highway, but if combined with other methods below, you can really super soundproof a room.
Consider sound absorbing wall hangings
Most homes are adorned with paintings and photos on the wall, however, if soundproofing the apartment is your utmost concern, then fabric wall hangings are the best to serve the need. This method will serve two purposes, to add color and beauty to space, but for a special need, it will also serve to dampen and absorb noise.
However, if you can’t afford to part ways with your old painting or existing artworks to soundproof a room, try adding foams to the back of each piece in order to act as
Special soundproof curtains
Curtains are not just for decorations. Thick curtains made from materials like wool, velvet, and other thick textured textiles tend to dampen noise well, unlike lighter textiles. Although lately special light material called Silent Space Curtains were developed, which is very light and translucent, the material can absorb sound to the same level as coating a room with an inch-thick asbestos!
The option is yours, whether to go for simple curtains made from thick materials or light synthetic Silent Space curtains, the difference is the fund available to acquire the curtain of your choice and really soundproof a room.
Invest in Thick Carpet
Soft surfaces tend to absorb sound, but hard surfaces repel sound. Therefore, getting thick carpets or rugs and ensure that it is well-insulated with good underpad beneath it will work wonders against noise. The carpet will absorb part of the sound but will also prevent furniture from making noise if they are moved around.
Furniture makes noise when dragged on a hard surface, which is why an area rug or thick carpet will be just fine, to minimize likely sound that may occur when having reasons to pull furniture around.
If you are not a fan of thick carpet, layering some rugs over one another shouldn’t be a problem to you if you really want to soundproof a room. You can lay geometric flatweave rug on sisal rugs; the outcome looks good, but it will prevent sound from going through as well.
Do away with hard furnishings
If you can afford it, replace hard furnishing with soft ones. The fact that noise reverberates off hard surfaces means if you are able to replace your hard chairs with soft ones or decide to have an upholstered bench will be a better choice in place of a hard coffee table if you actually want to soundproof a room.
This method can’t eliminate all the sound in the room, but it a good way to minimize sound that supposed to echo off hard surfaces, therefore, the more hard furnishings you can replace, the better.
Noise absorbing artifacts
If you are a fan of trendy restaurants and bars, the chances are high you must have seen some noise absorbing arts and panels without you knowing. Several companies sell artifacts, artworks, and panels designed to absorb noise, but the products may be quite expensive to fully soundproof a room.
However, it is possible to make such sound absorbing panels at home, at a cheaper and more affordable rate than what it is sold in the market. There is no need to spend excessively in order to reduce noise, ensure you make it at home if you have the time.
Noise absorbing tiles
It sounds strange, but it is true. There are wall pieces or tiles designed to absorb noise and easily soundproof a room. It is fixed on the wall using either glue or magnet and you have the honor of choosing from several variants of colors that will suit your taste.
The strength of the product is not limited to absorbing sound from the surrounding alone, but it regulates moisture in the room perfectly as well. That is to say the product offers double the value, if you have it in your apartment because moisture can be as annoying as noise in the home.
Add some pillows
It may look just so simple, but just like other soft surfaces, pillow is superb in absorbing noise from the room. It works better with bigger and fluffier pillows, which means having pillows of various shapes and sizes will add beauty and at the same time, reduces the effect of noise in the room.
This is lovely as you can make as many as you desired at home, thereby reducing the cost of purchasing other sound absorbing materials, but make sure each pillow has a wide surface area to enable it absorbs sound.
It depends on your choice, having home decor to prevent noise in the home is a smart choice, because it adds more value to the home.
To those who are a fan of artifacts and who will like to see their homes adorned with colorful tiles, with thick carpets, or soft furnishings, there is always a way soundproof a room using any of the available decors.
Author bio: June is a stay-at-home mom who has an interest in soundproofing her house so that her family can have a peaceful day after work and school. Sometimes, it is to lower the volume when her teenage son has band practice in the garage. She blogs at A Quiet Refuge.