Home office acoustics: peace and quiet for every video call

Home office acoustics are usually not about making your whole house quieter, but about that one small space where you take video calls. A home office is often small, with a desk, a laptop, and bare walls, precisely the combination that makes sound reverberate the loudest. An acoustic artwork absorbs that sound, dampens the reverberation around your workspace, and helps you and the people on the other end of the call understand each other more clearly.

Does this sound familiar? You're in the middle of a call and a colleague asks, "Can you say that again, it sounds a bit reverberant on your end." Or you hear yourself coming back through the speaker, with a faint lingering reverberation trailing behind. Annoying, and it doesn't exactly look professional. Fortunately, your home office doesn't have to look bare and acoustically dull to fix this.

Why does a home office reverberate so quickly?

A home office is usually the smallest workspace in the house, and that's precisely what makes it sensitive. In a small room, sound needs less distance to bounce back, and with a desk, a laptop, often laminate or tiled flooring, and little textile on the walls, there's little to absorb it along the way. Your microphone also picks up that reflection even more sharply than your own ear, because it sits close to a hard desktop. This is exactly why reverberation in a home office often stands out more during a call than in a living room of the same size.

What do you actually notice about poor acoustics during a video call?

Your voice sounds tinny or hollow, people ask you to repeat things more often, and after a day full of calls you feel more tired than the conversation itself justifies. That last part isn't just in your head. Research into workplace acoustics shows that concentration can noticeably drop in a poorly treated room, even once you no longer consciously notice the reverberation yourself. For focused work, around 45 dB(A) is considered a comfortable level under the Dutch Arbo (workplace health and safety) guideline, and a reverberant room makes every sound, including your own voice, feel busier than it actually is.

Improving home office acoustics: how do you tackle it?

The most effective approach is an acoustic artwork close to your workspace, ideally visible on camera, so it also warms up your background. Hang it opposite the hardest surface in the room, often the window or a bare wall, or directly behind your screen so it breaks up the sound right next to your microphone. Because a home office is usually small, Essential (60% absorption) is often enough on its own. If you have a laminate floor, a high ceiling, or a room that also doubles as a utility room or hallway, choose Extra or Ultimate for a noticeably stronger result.

Not sure about the size for a smaller room? A rectangular piece of 60x80 or 70x90 cm fits comfortably above or beside the desk in most home offices, without overwhelming the space. Feel free to order a sample to lay the color and material next to your desk first. The amount is refunded when you place your order.

Does this also work outside a home?

We see this effect outside living rooms too. Vera runs co-workspace and photo studio De Pleck in Nijverdal, a space where people are on calls and in meetings all day long. To stop the team from becoming overstimulated, she combined acoustic desk screens, wall panels, and artworks from Pieces of Art. The result is a bright studio that not only looks good on camera, but where you can genuinely work in focused, quiet concentration. A well thought out home office follows the same principle, just with one artwork instead of an entire room of custom acoustic work.

Curious what would make a difference for your own workspace? Browse the bestsellers in the acoustic art collection, or first read how improving home acoustics actually works. Not sure yourself and would rather have us take a look? Send us a photo of your workspace, we're happy to think along, no obligation.

Frequently asked questions about home office acoustics

What is the best acoustic solution for a home office?
An acoustic artwork close to your desk, ideally within view of your webcam. It dampens sound right where your voice and microphone are most affected by reverberation, without any renovation needed.

Does an acoustic artwork really help reduce reverberation during video calls?
Yes. The felt is made of open fibers that absorb sound instead of reflecting it, similar to how a room sounds calmer once the curtains are closed. You'll notice it in how clearly your voice comes across on the other end of the call.

What damping level suits a small home office?
In most cases, Essential (60% absorption) is already enough, since a home office is usually small. With a laminate floor, a high ceiling, or a room that also serves as a passageway, Extra or Ultimate works noticeably better.

Where's the best place to hang the artwork in my home office?
Opposite the hardest surface in the room, such as a window or a bare wall, or directly behind your screen so it breaks up the sound right next to your microphone and improves your background during calls at the same time.

Will one acoustic artwork make my home office completely silent?
No, and we don't promise that either. It noticeably dampens the reverberation in the room, making it calmer, but not fully soundless. For a strongly reverberant room, a larger size or a higher damping level works better than one small artwork.