I am a big fan of putting art up on walls. It adds that personal touch and gives the right mood to a room! Design and art go hand in hand when planning out a house, and while this definitely means how it looks there is another component that is of growing importance.
The way things sound throughout a house is a new focus on the modern home. We have drifted towards the use of open floor plans and getting rid of the carpet, and in the process created large echo-chambers that aren’t ideal for sound. Everything from the chaos going on inside the home to the noise originating from outside can become more of a nuisance. This is all not to mention the expensive high-definition surround sound systems that were installed now sound like a tin can because the audio quality is only as good as the environment it is played in.
I appreciate a nicely designed room as much as the next person, but I also am a believer in an acoustically sound room designed room as well. Especially the living spaces and bedroom where we spend so much time! Some of the issues can be resolved by adding a rug over the hard flooring, soft furnishings, and heavy curtains. However, this doesn’t help the largest flat and hard surfaces!
I used to believe that printing out and placing canvas prints and art around a room was the best option. I also used a massive vinyl print in my last apartment because it was the most economical option given the scale of that room (vaulted ceilings). I am happy to report that I have found a better option out there specifically designed to resolve this modern first world problem!
The new #1 answer for acoustic issues in a room where you also want art is an acoustic art print. I discovered GIK Acoustics after hearing another photographer was starting to do these in Europe and my ears perked up! To be fair, these are canvas prints at their core, but since they are done with sound in mind there are a few key differences.
GIK Acoustics uses sound-absorbing fiberglass which does better than foam with noise control and holds up better over time. A canvas print you get online normally doesn’t take this into account behind the print itself! They also make varying depths to handle low-end/bass frequencies (deeper panels of 6 inches) to more standard sizing (1-2 inches deep). I also noticed that these specific panels are made with fire-proofing in mind as they are Class A fire rated to keep them safe to display in commercial installations!
The only thing left is the ceiling at this point. As much as I want the room to sound good there is nothing that can save the popcorn ceilings in my mind. Those must go! You can’t win with everything… This isn’t going to be for everybody or for every room/wall. I still believe that other types of printing yield better-looking results, but if you want a good looking room that has sound issues managed these panels might be a good option for you!