Life needs creativity. When was the last time you saw a decorative acoustic panel? For most people, the answer to this question would be something along the lines of ‘I never have’ or ‘I don’t know what that is.’ If we were to rephrase the question, and instead ask ‘When was the last time you sat or stood next to an acoustic panel?’ for city-dwellers, the actual answer would very likely be sometime within the last day or two, whether they knew it or not. In this article, we’ll give you some ideas or inspiration on how to use decorative acoustic panels creatively.
It’s often either not obvious, or not even known, that the spaces we inhabit on a daily basis are acoustically controlled. In coffeeshops, offices, gyms, theatres, malls and more, acoustic products are used to balance the degree to which sound travels. Why? Because places where acoustics are not balanced, they can often feel incredibly noisy on one end of the spectrum or sort of ‘dead’ on the other.
Not sure what we mean? There’s a simple way to experience this first-hand. If you’re at home, pick up your phone, and play a song through the loudspeaker. Now walk to different areas of your apartment or house, and notice how different the song sounds. In some areas it will sound louder, in some places it will feel more full-bodied, and in other places it will sound quieter, empty, or echoey. These effects are actually manipulable, and decorative acoustic panels are one of the foremost ways to do so in public spaces. Below, we want to showcase some of the most creative uses of acoustic panels that either compliment or seamlessly blend into the environments in which they’re placed.
- Starting Simply, Blend into the Surroundings
Take a look at the picture above. Where are the acoustic panels? This isn’t a trick question. There are many panels in this office space, designed to absorb sound. In this case, the creativity stems from sophisticated design elements that not only blend into the room, but play a dominant role in shaping its aesthetics. The first set of panels is on the wall on the left, with grey, diagonal lines. The second and third sets are on the right, assembled seamlessly to cover the entire feature wall and cove wall with a rich blue, cut with horizontal lines. These are custom-made ZENFEEL Groove Cut Polyester Panels. They create a modernist aesthetic, the bold simplicity of which plays well off the rounded retro-style seating. Further examples of this style feature in the pictures below.
- Decorative Acoustic 3D Panels In Various Design
These big, bold, bubbly decorative acoustic 3D panels are almost sculptural in their form. In a room otherwise filled with flat surfaces, they lend texture and dynamism to the space. Their blocky, molded domes have playful connotations, evoking images of toy building blocks or bubble wrap. The strong colors are coordinated with the other areas of the space.
These wavey and bumpy acoustic 3D panels can adorn walls or hang from ceilings, giving a sense of fluidity or texture to spaces that might feel rigid, flat or boxy. While the surfaces may look smooth, the breathable, fibrous polyester effectively absorbs sound.
- Hide in Plain Sight
Where are the decorative acoustic panels in this picture? Once again, it is not a trick question. Here, they are designed to look and function like office dividers. The snowflake-esque dividers hanging from the ceiling are in fact made from acoustic panels[P1] , cut and molded into flake shakes, and assembled to make curtains. They serve the dual purpose of providing privacy both visually and aurally. What’s more, they give texture and an artistic flourish to an otherwise standard office space.
- Get Funky with It
ZENFEEL have assembled a somewhat cunning product here, to maximize color and pattern versatility. Acoustic panels on above are made with two layers – a gray acoustic panel backing, covered with felt triangular cut-outs.
Zenfeel also provides Groove acoustic panels with single layer according to client’s design requirement. These curves display a sense of unique design beauty and make the acoustic panels looks classic and full of movement. The color schemes in the pictures above, and the varied patterns that they use, give these panels a sense of visual movement and vibrancy.
- Push Into a 3D World
Products on above two pictures are called 3D tiles, because they are smaller and more flat than 3D panels. These 3D tiles demonstrate perfectly how decorative acoustic panels are going beyond the classic flat, nondescript panels of the past. With custom geometry and colors easily and affordably achievable, the possibilities for creating 3D tiles are virtually endless.
- Make a Map!
This large world map, showing the locations of different offices around the globe, appears to just be a simple design flourish. In fact, it’s a decorative acoustic panel in disguise!
- Get Wavey Zenfeel Wave Acoustic Panels
These wavey polyester acoustic panels were applied in one of the AIG reception areas. As can be seen, the vertical lines match those found on the seating upholstery, and in the air vents on the ceiling. They give texture to the column, and abide by the design concept that vertical lines give the impression of a high ceiling. All this, while effectively absorbing sound in an area where conversations are likely to be held.
- Get Even Wavier
These ceiling baffles, once more, give a feeling of calm motion to the space over which they are installed. As people move below them, light is reflected in such a way that they look unique from all different positions.
- Showcase Art and Photography
Custom-printed decorative acoustic panels, like the one above from ZENFEEL, allow for detailed graphics and imagery to be incorporated into the panel itself. This allows for the double-whammy of displaying artwork and achieving acoustic comfort simultaneously.
- Give Rustic Appeal with Modern Functionality
Here we come to the final game of ‘where’s the decorative acoustic panel?’ in this article. In fact, it’s mafe of the natural coconut fibers! ZENFEEL fitted these uniquely natural and earthy panels in a French bakery in Shanghai, endowing the space with an authentic, rustic look.
We hope you have found some inspiration and ideas from ZENFEEL. If you want to learn more about creative acoustic panels , please visit our blog. Or if you are interested in ZENFEEL’s acoustic products, don’t hesitate to contact us today!