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Tall open rooms can make conversation sound strangely echoey
How much do room volume and ceiling height affect speech reverberation in a large, open-plan living room? In a hypothetical space with mostly hard floors and walls, I’d expect sound to linger, but I’m not sure how much that depends on the finishes versus the room’s size and shape.
Rugs and upholstered furniture might help, but they can work against an intended interior look or make cleaning less convenient. Are some design choices more effective than others without covering every surface in soft materials? And how can you tell whether you’re hearing reverberation within the room or noise carrying in from another room? When is a specialist acoustic assessment worth bringing into the design process?
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A ceiling cloud or baffle is another option if the ceiling is a major reflective surface: it can absorb sound overhead without covering the floors and walls. In a tall room, though, its shape and placement become part of the interior design, and it’s worth thinking about how it’ll be cleaned and maintained before committing to one.