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Echoes, all homes have them to one extent or another. Usually, they are most noticeable in bathrooms and kitchens, but it is not uncommon for echoes to be audible in living and bedrooms, especially if the rooms are large, have large areas of reflective surfaces like windows and tiles, are open plan or have high ceilings.
Why Do Echoes Occur?
An echo is made when sound waves bounce off hard, reflective surfaces, they are absorbed when they encounter soft surfaces such as fabric covered furnishings. Now we know what causes an echo, let’s look at ways we can mitigate them.
Windows
Glass reflects sound back into the room, if you have large windows, patio doors or bifold doors consider adding a set of full-length fully lined curtains or metal blinds for fabric ones. Even adding some light airy voiles will help to keep those echoes under control.
Walls
Walls of course, are hard surfaces and so will reflect sound. There are a few ways you can temper this unwanted noise, try hanging tapestries and other fabric wall hangings as these will help to reduce echo as will canvas wall art.
Floors
If you have hard flooring in your echoey room, try scattering a few rugs to help cancel out the echo.
Soft Furnishings
Large upholstery will help to cancel out echoes, choose plush fabrics over leather, vinyl or wood. Plush sofas, armchairs and even bean bags can all help to absorb sound.
Accessories
If you have addressed all of the above and the room is still echoing, try introducing more fabric in the form of cushions and throws. Even adding more books to a bookcase can help reduce the feedback. Did you know that there are plants that can also help cancel out echoes? No? I didn’t either, but apparently ferns, rubber plants, Peace Lilies among a whole host of other plants can be effective in your echo battle. In an article on the subject the Huffington Post states: “Rough bark and thick, fleshy leaves are particularly effective at absorbing sound with their dynamic surface area.” You can read the full article here.
Banishing Echoes from Bathrooms and Kitchens
Now we know all about echoes and how they are created, it makes sense that the vast majority of bathrooms and kitchens have the same acoustics as a canyon! Both are filled with reflective surfaces and you might be thinking that you are going to be hard pressed to add some decorative soft furnishings. Don’t give up, there are still a few things that can be done. In the bathroom, try hanging large fluffy towels from your towel rails or radiator, add a large rubber plant and a fabric shower curtain, these will all help to reduce your bathroom echo. What about the kitchen? Well, the same principles applies, add a table cloth to the table, swap hard blinds for fabric ones and either swap out hard seating for cushioned foam filled seats or add a few seat cushions. A few plants and again you will be surprised by how much the echo has been reduced.
Acoustic Panels
If your echo problem persists throughout your home then you might want to consider purchasing specialist acoustic panels, there are some beautiful designs available from online retailers like muffle.co.uk Acoustic panels are specifically designed to cancel out all forms of noise and come in a wide range of formats from decorative panels that have vibrant artwork on them to fabric panels, and on the Muffle website you will even find some acoustic moss! Whatever next?
We hope you have found the tips in this article useful, for the majority of readers, adding some curtains, a few cushions and some plants will be more than enough to reduce the echoes until they are gone for good!
