Sound is an often overlooked component when designing a home, and there are many ways that it affects us. Along with lighting, the sound in a space sets the tone (haha) for any room. There are both intentional ways to add pleasant sound and ways to dampen unintentional sounds.

Sounds can enhance living or create chaos, depending on the circumstance. When I wake up to birdsong, it puts me in a good mood to start the day. And if you have ever tried conducting a Zoom meeting in an open plan house with a toddler having a tantrum somewhere in range, you know what chaos sounds like!

Designing with acoustics in mind

In its simplest form, acoustic design is how sound is transmitted in a room - a concert hall is built for “perfect acoustics” so that the sound quality is ideal for the audience - PRO TIP: don’t whisper to your companions in an acoustically live concert hall unless you want everyone in the room to hear what you say. I witnessed this fun fact during a rehearsal when my son was playing the piano on the stage of the beautiful Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, MA which is built for concert acoustic perfection. Yes, the whole back wall of the stage is a picture window overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and yes it IS spectacular!

But at home, we generally are looking to calm the sound chaos, and that is most easily accomplished with enclosed rooms and textiles that absorb the sound.

Using rugs, upholstery, and window treatments helps calm down the noise in any room. Just think about how different the sound is in a fast food restaurant with plastic booths than it is in a luxury restaurant with tablecloths and upholstered chairs. Quieter generally equates to more relaxed and refined. There is a reason ‘peace and quiet’ are words so often paired!

Textured surfaces are more effective than smooth surfaces at absorbing sound. It’s about the only redeeming feature of those textured ceilings that look like a cottage cheese explosion occurred…

Another way to design with sound in mind is to be aware of the noise generated by appliances. The background noice of appliances can be unintentionally tiring. Ceiling fans out of balance or on long downrods often make an unsettling noise. Newer appliances are built with better insulating properties to keep the sound down. Many dishwashers, which used to be the worst offenders, are now so quiet you have to check the panel to see if they are on!

How alarming are your alarms?

I love the happy ding that my Tick Tick task management software makes when I check off a box. I’m less enamored with the strident beep the microwave emits and I usually try to preempt it by opening the door before the last second counts down. My new LG washer that came to live with me right after the eulogy for my deceased washer tweets out an entire happy song at the end of its cycle….I wonder if the new LG wash tower sings the same tune! And my phone is programmed with a Mozart Sonata for the ringtone - which always makes me smile even if the caller does not!

Sound as the background mood creator

The soundtrack of MY life is classical music as I live with an opera singer and a pianist. And let me disabuse you of the notion that all classical music is soothing background elevator muzak. I can assure you it is not. It runs the gamut from the Latin chants my daughter is recording today, to what I like to refer to as 20th century train wreck music (some of which is actually interesting), and atonal stuff I fail to even qualify as music. I prefer the beautiful stuff in the middle.

Back in the good old pre-pandemic days when I entertained frequently, I always used background music, either live or recorded, to set the tone of the party. Different styles conjure different moods and a carefully curated playlist can drive the energy of an event. I always played the Tchaikovsky Nutcracker for our {nearly} annual Nutcracker Sweets Dessert Open House (obviously!) and it makes us all smile, or maybe that was the sugar coma…hard to tell. Smooth jazz is a great backdrop for a smart evening of cocktails and nibbles, and Vivaldi is an excellent choice for brunch.

When I need energy for exercise or house cleaning, I blast upbeat dance music. When I want to read or write, I like classical instrumental music from my favorite eras. And when I am relaxing or creating or cooking, I love vocal music from Renaissance to Broadway.

New smart home technology coupled with sound technology makes it possible to have music (or a podcast, or audiobook) in any room of your home and control it all from your phone or with voice command. Now adding music to your morning routine can be as simple as adding this shower head with a bluetooth speaker in it - totally upping your singing in the shower game!

But music is not the only sound to employ. Nature sounds are often a relaxing choice, well maybe not an incessantly barking dog, but anything from the happy chirp of backyard birds to the soothing splash of water features or the sweet tinkle of wind chimes can add a happy, calming tone to your home.

All of these, both intentional and more unconscious sounds, contribute to the tapestry of sensory input. And that sensory input affects and informs how we feel - so pay attention to what sounds you are inviting into YOUR home!

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