This is turning into the craziest of weeks, I am so tired already and its only Wednesday yikes. So much is buzzing through my poor brain that I’m falling asleep on the sofa in the evening (something I rarely do) and oversleeping – hence no swim today! I need a vacation I reckon, it’s exciting though Gem starting working up all our new faux’s into bunches yesterday and they are so beautiful. Infact I’ve even put some of the foliage-y branches out in my pad now, even though they are so wintery and we are in the middle of summer. I do not care, I am obsessed with them. How bonkers is that!
Let’s get down to biz and talk acoustics. Anyone living in an open plan configuration will know the problem sound can cause, TV’s that intermingle with kettles, hovers and ovens all droning away at the same time it’s a bit of a problem. I’m a funny thing (although I’m putting this down to upbringing) I cannot have the TV on any time other than in the evening at the end of the day. It can’t be on for background noise whilst I’m cooking or emailing drives me bonkers. Having the TV on in the daytime only happens when I’m sick and too run down to care otherwise I get my fathers voice in my head asking me why exactly I’m wasting my life watching a box!
Noise bouncing off walls (remember all those huge 200 seater restaurants that used to be so in vogue) with their hard surfaces are so not cool anymore and the trouble with open plan spaces theses days is that they often have the same problem. Noise can totally effect how you feel in a room, too much din creates havoc!
If you want to cut the noise down you’ve got to soften things up. Concrete and wooden floors are the worst they reflect sound like glass, so skim rugs on floors it will soften no end. Also think about creating zones and layering things up. The minute we faux pony skinned the studio was the minute it got super snug especially in winter. Wallpaper, artwork layers basically all help spaces that have already been built and have little choice of going for sound rated plasterboard. Although I have heard in the paint world that there is some coating being created that will have acoustic properties, cool no?
Just be aware of how sound moves around your pad, if you feel its becoming a little uncomfortable create zones whether that is literally building a divider like the above image or adding in soft textiles and plants which help absorb sound. Luckily I have quite a few of those, especially after our latest delivery of new plants arriving this week. I’m not sure I can get anymore in but I’m sure gonna try!
