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Collection by Diana Budds

How to Optimize Acoustics at Home

You've shelled out for a top-of-the line sound system or sleek, modern speakers, but are you getting the best listening experience at home? If you haven't thought about how your furnishings affect the way sound travels in a space, possibly not. Bill Bush, principal acoustics engineer at Sonos, offers seven easy fixes that will optimize your listening experience.

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The living room is five steps down from the kitchen and office space and features textured black slate tile from Olympia Tile, Voyage Immobile sofas with Farniente collection upholstery (a wedding present from Flanders’s mother) by Roche Bobois, and a rug from Turkmenistan the couple picked up in Jerusalem. The sliding glass doors are by Loewen and the glazing above is by Inline Fiberglass. Sawatzky relied on Wayne Arsenault for the custom millwork and carpentry.
The living room is five steps down from the kitchen and office space and features textured black slate tile from Olympia Tile, Voyage Immobile sofas with Farniente collection upholstery (a wedding present from Flanders’s mother) by Roche Bobois, and a rug from Turkmenistan the couple picked up in Jerusalem. The sliding glass doors are by Loewen and the glazing above is by Inline Fiberglass. Sawatzky relied on Wayne Arsenault for the custom millwork and carpentry.
It is all very mindful. “We proceeded with a philosophy and a vision,” says Chamberlin. “All of us understood that the poetry of what you look at is very important.”
It is all very mindful. “We proceeded with a philosophy and a vision,” says Chamberlin. “All of us understood that the poetry of what you look at is very important.”
With the help of architects X+L Studio, Nynke Meeuwissen and Mark Aink rehabilitated an old school outside of Amsterdam into a comfortable roost for their family of five. The former gym—with original herringbone parquet floors—is now the living room, furnished with Minotti sofas, a Danskina rug, and a Gyrofocus wood-burning stove.
With the help of architects X+L Studio, Nynke Meeuwissen and Mark Aink rehabilitated an old school outside of Amsterdam into a comfortable roost for their family of five. The former gym—with original herringbone parquet floors—is now the living room, furnished with Minotti sofas, a Danskina rug, and a Gyrofocus wood-burning stove.
A curtain slides across for privacy.
A curtain slides across for privacy.
“It’s like Lego for grown-ups,” Fissmer says of Rams’s 606 Universal Shelving System for Vitsœ, which makes another appearance in the office. “It’s a responsible way to handle storage.”
“It’s like Lego for grown-ups,” Fissmer says of Rams’s 606 Universal Shelving System for Vitsœ, which makes another appearance in the office. “It’s a responsible way to handle storage.”
Tip seven: Getting Serious "If this is a man cave or a woman cave, there are further things you can do," Bush says. "One is to buy already fabricated fiberglass absorber panels in the cloth color of your choice. I would stick with four-inch-thick or thicker panels as the thin ones, like thin foam, just absorb highs and leave you with an overly mid-rangy room. If you are a craftsperson, you can make these types of panels by ordering Owens Corning #703 in four-inch thickness or in a two-inch and glue two layers together to get four inches. I use 3M spray 77 glue but others might work as well. This will need covering so I recommend a thin layer of polyester batting and your choice of upholstery fabric to cover. This can be inserted into frames or glued to a backer board to hang. Specially made diffusors work well, but tend to be very spendy. Let your budget be a guide here and remember that plain old bushy plants work well and spruce up a cave well." "I would tend to stay away from the acoustic foams available unless they are at least four inces thick," Bush says. "Thicker is better. A thin layer of acoustic foam used as a cosmetic treatment over a four-inch-thick Owens Corning #703 fiberglass panel is a nice finish and works very well. Spend some time listening and let your ears be your guide."
Tip seven: Getting Serious "If this is a man cave or a woman cave, there are further things you can do," Bush says. "One is to buy already fabricated fiberglass absorber panels in the cloth color of your choice. I would stick with four-inch-thick or thicker panels as the thin ones, like thin foam, just absorb highs and leave you with an overly mid-rangy room. If you are a craftsperson, you can make these types of panels by ordering Owens Corning #703 in four-inch thickness or in a two-inch and glue two layers together to get four inches. I use 3M spray 77 glue but others might work as well. This will need covering so I recommend a thin layer of polyester batting and your choice of upholstery fabric to cover. This can be inserted into frames or glued to a backer board to hang. Specially made diffusors work well, but tend to be very spendy. Let your budget be a guide here and remember that plain old bushy plants work well and spruce up a cave well." "I would tend to stay away from the acoustic foams available unless they are at least four inces thick," Bush says. "Thicker is better. A thin layer of acoustic foam used as a cosmetic treatment over a four-inch-thick Owens Corning #703 fiberglass panel is a nice finish and works very well. Spend some time listening and let your ears be your guide."