bright acoustics in kitchen giving us a headache. What's the answer?

[Toots]

Since we re-did the kitchen/diner and altered the layout so all the work surface, sinketc is in and L shape, it's really altered the acoustics.

I think we need to hang something... you know, technical, from the ceiling. Or put panels on the walls. It needs more than rugs or pictures. But what?

I don't understand.

Do you mean that it's now really noisy?

Have you tried things like rugs, curtains and so on?

I have to say that my mum's voice in my dining room (currently with no rugs, no curtains) is just ear piercing, but we're hoping that when we get rugs and curtains back in things will calm down a bit.

Yes. It's noisy now. Putting in blinds made no difference.

Toots,

Acoustically speaking, the room will be more reverbrant (ie. sound keeps bouncing off the surfaces) if there are lots of shiny surfaces. Soft surfaces (rugs, carpet, soft furnishings, foam etc.) absorb sound enery. It's do do with the coefficient of absorption of the material, the area of coverage, and the frequency (in general high frequency noise is "absorbed" better that low frequency noise).

Aside from sticking foam on the walls, you do need to put more soft furnishings in. The greater the area of floor, wall and ceiling coverage the better, to reduce the reverberant field in the room.

If the bothersome noise is from outisde the room then it's a transmission problem, not a reverberation problem. Then you'd want to think about acoustic insulation.

sorry for spelling mistakes

Fab techno stuff portiacabin. There are certainly a lot more (totally flat surface) cupboards than before) I will make a plan. Thanks. Cushions on the ceiling, there's a thought.

Can hardly add a thing to Portia's fabulous words but DH suggests introducing a non-parallel surface into the room? So the reflections don't echo backwards and forwards. Can't think how one would do that practically though TBH.

How about a ceiling airer full of laundry - probably not the look you wanted in your sleek kitchen!