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Home should be the most relaxing place in the world, so it’s really frustrating when you finally get chance to chill and it sounds like your neighbours are apparently rehearsing for Glastonbury. Maybe you live close to a noisy road, or by a shop, school or train track where you’re often having to deal with more noise than you’d like. Chances are that you knew the situation and loved your home enough to still want to move in, but it doesnt mean that you’re not allowed to be frustrated about it sometimes. Thankfully there are some things you can do that are surprisingly effective, and make your space feel calmer (without turning it into a padded cell!) Here’s how.
Soften the Surfaces
Sound loves hard surfaces. It literally bounces off them like a dodgy squash ball, making everything feel louder. That’s why kitchens with their tiles, stone counters and wooden floors tend to be the noisiest rooms in the house. The way to fix this is by softening things up. Throw down a massive rug in the living room (the thicker, the better). Add floor length curtains over windows even if you don’t need them for privacy, they’ll help muffle outside noise and as a bonus they can make the room look that bit more sumptuous, cosy and luxurious as well. If you’re feeling a bit artsy, fabric wall hangings can add a cool boho vibe and soak up sound at the same time. Even smaller touches like swapping weather chairs for squishy upholstered ones, or adding chunky throws and cushions can make a difference.
Plug in the Gaps
It can actually be ridiculous how much sound sneaks in through tiny gaps. You’ll know this if you’ve ever been kept awake by wind whistling through a window crack. The same thing happens with noise. Weather stripping around door frames can help with this, it’s cheap, easy, and makes a big difference. For internal doors, grab a draft excluder and shove it along the bottom as it’ll block noise between rooms. If you’ve got old creaky windows, consider running a line of acoustic sealant around the frame. It’s messy, but worth it. You’ll be amazed at how much sound gets cut out. And don’t forget floorboards and skirting boards in older homes. Those tiny gaps let in a surprising amount of noise- a bit of caulk or flexible filler there can help seal things up without much effort.
Let Your Furniture Do the Work
Here’s something people rarely think about: furniture makes a surprisingly good sound barrier. No, you’re not going to block out a building site with a bookcase, but placing large, solid pieces against shared or external walls helps absorb some of the sound.
Got noisy neighbours? Shove a heavy bookcase against the adjoining wall. It won’t silence them, but it’ll muffle the worst of it. And here’s a sneaky tip: leave a little gap behind it. It seems counterintuitive, but that tiny bit of space helps stop the wall itself from acting like a giant drum. If you’ve got big, echoey rooms, consider bulking them out. You don’t have to cram in loads of furniture—just a few extra pieces, like a corner armchair or a console table along a bare wall, can help stop sound bouncing around.
Tweak Your Windows (Without Replacing Them)
If outside noise is still driving you up the wall, your windows might be the main culprit. And while replacing them is one solution, it’s also wildly expensive. A simpler option is laminated glass. It’s got a special inner layer that reduces sound transmission, making it far better at blocking noise than regular glass. And it’s tougher too so you get extra security thrown in.
You don’t need to rip out your windows either. In many cases, you can fit a laminated panel over the existing glass. It’s not dirt cheap, but it’s still way more affordable and less disruptive than a full window replacement. If you live near a busy road, this can make a massive difference. The sound won’t disappear entirely, but it’ll be more of a low hum than an aggressive roar.
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