Poor acoustics in the living room?

Does it echo when you talk in the living room? Does music sound flat or shrill? Poor sound in the home is a problem many experience – especially in modern homes and new builds. But what exactly causes it? And how can you improve sound in the home without compromising on the decor?

In many Danish homes, the sound environment has been overlooked as we have started to build and decorate more minimally. Large windows, hard floors, and smooth walls and concrete create beautiful, bright rooms – but they also create poor sound. When sound is not absorbed by textiles and surfaces, reverberation and noise occur. Especially in the living room and kitchen-dining area, there are often problems with sound.

Poor sound in the home

You can typically hear poor sound in the home when:

• There is an echo in the room, especially when you talk and guests' chatter becomes noisy

• The TV and radio seem too loud even at low volume

• You feel tired or overstimulated at home

• Children's play stresses you out

Poor sound in new builds

The problem is particularly evident in new builds and newly renovated homes. Here, there are often large, open spaces with few sound-absorbing materials. This means that sound waves are bounced around the room instead of being dampened.

In new builds, you often see:

• Hard concrete walls

• No curtains or heavy furniture

• Living rooms and kitchens in one large open space

• Large glass facades

All of this can create a feeling that the sound "flies around," and it affects conversations, concentration, and the atmosphere in the home. On top of that, we decorate minimally with few pieces of furniture, and with wooden floors instead of carpets, and if we have curtains, they are often light fabrics that cannot dampen the sound being bounced around.

You can do something about it. With acoustic panels with art, you can bring beautiful images into your home while also improving sound. To dampen sound, you need to cover some larger wall areas to achieve optimal effect. That's why I've designed several of my acoustic art pieces in series of two or more, so they fit together and can create calm in the decor – even in large format. With my art, you bring modern art into your home while also bringing peace to your nervous system. The sound-dampening effect and interaction with my calm earthy tones and soft organic shapes create peace and relaxation in the decor. 

Sound dampening in the living room.

If you want to improve the sound environment, it's about creating balance: You shouldn't make the room "soundproof," but softer. You do this by adding materials and elements that can absorb sound and dampen reflections.

Here are some effective solutions for sound dampening in the home:

• Place rugs on the floors – especially under the dining table or sofa

• Hang curtains, even if you don't use them for blackout

• Decorate with more textiles, e.g., cushions, upholstered chairs, and soft materials

• Utilize walls with sound-absorbing pictures.

• Avoid having many empty, bare surfaces

These measures can make a big difference – both for sound quality and the room's atmosphere.

How to improve sound in the home?

If you want to create better sound in your home, start by listening to the room. Stand in the middle of the living room and clap your hands – can you hear a long echo? Then you probably have hard surfaces and too little sound absorption.

How to improve the sound environment:

1. Identify hard surfaces (floor, ceiling, walls, windows)

2. Add soft surfaces that can absorb sound

3. Focus especially on large, bare walls where sound bounces around

4. Test continuously, e.g., by playing music or talking to someone in the room

You don't need major renovations – small changes can make a noticeable difference.

Poor acoustics in the living room is not something you have to put up with. It's not about renovating or changing your entire decor – but about thinking in terms of surfaces and materials. Once you improve the sound environment, you will experience more peace, better conversations, and greater well-being in everyday life.

Do you want inspiration for solutions that are both beautiful and sound-enhancing? Visit my collection of sound-enhancing art – created for modern Nordic homes.