I have a beautiful great room with tall ceilings and a floor-to-ceiling fireplace made of brick. The acoustics are loud and hard on the ears of my veteran spouse. How can I incorporate acoustic tiles or dampening into the room that looks nice to help the echoes and loud sounds? Our house is more farmhouse than it is modern.
– Julie T., Concord, NH
Hi Julie! To start, please tell your spouse thank you for their service. Your great room sounds beautiful, but I completely understand the issue you’re facing. Tall ceilings are gorgeous, but they do not do us any favors when it comes to containing an echo. I have a couple of ideas here.
Add Hidden Acoustic Panels to Furniture
First is a little trick that was shared with me when I purchased my home and something many restaurants do to keep the noise from travelling table to table. You can buy adhesive acoustic sounds panels like these and attach them to the bottom of furniture pieces like tables, chairs, or couches.
Use a Soundproof Rug Pad
Next, you can purchase a soundproof rug pad, which absorbs ambient noise, to go under your area rug.
Incorporate Acoustic Wall Treatments That Fit a Farmhouse Style
If you are looking to add some texture to your wall space, you can create a slatted wood accent wall using acoustic wood panels or hang large acoustic wall art. It’s a pretty amazing and innovative concept when you think about how you now can buy oversized art that is attached to a sound-absorbing panel.

