Treated, but still a living room

When the walls of the new house were open, I could have built a studio. I did not. Every treatment decision started from one sentence: this is still a living room.

We measured the space first and balanced what needed to be done. A mild layer of absorption went behind the system, covered by natural wood panels for basic diffusion. Bass traps went into the corners, and custom absorption panels went across the ceiling to control the pressure in high-volume sessions.

For the windows and openings we chose thick, multi-layered fabric curtains. They control the sound coming in from outside and the acoustics of the room itself, and they look like curtains, because they are. Then the paint colours and fabrics were matched to the system and the furniture, with discreet LED and cove lighting to finish it.

Let me be clear about why the eyes got a vote. Part of the listening ritual is what you see while you listen. A room that looks like a recording studio does not feel like home, and a room that does not feel like home is a room you leave after one album.

Moderate treatment you live with beats perfect treatment you avoid. The best seat in the house still has to be a seat you want to sit in.