How to make a loud home sound quietly?

The ability to work from home made some aware of the absence of one element for productivity: quiet. Many of us have taken to barricading to insulate ourselves from noisy sounds. Echo-prone open floor plans have exacerbated the problem as family members concurrently try to do their work or attend remote school. Noise reduction can be as simple as adding a $50 door seal or as complex as spending $10,000 for full-home soundproofing.

1. Hard, highly reflective surfaces are among the worst sound offenders. Cover hard surfaces with softer materials, such as area rugs with a sound-absorbing pad underneath and fabric-covered furniture.
2. Add roman shades, cellular shades, and plantation shutters that can help reduce noise. Curtains and heavy drapes from suede or velvet are effective at absorbing outside noise.
3. In open floor plans, sound can bounce everywhere. Reduce echoes in open spaces with fabric-covered panels to add to the wall sound absorption. You can also try bookcases against walls to help absorb sounds. Artwork can also be used as a sound barrier.
4. In addition to improving air quality, houseplants can help reduce noise. They’re most beneficial on hard-surface floors. Choose a potted Norfolk pine in room corners. Sound will bounce from the wall onto the foliage instead of throughout the room.
5. Seal doors and windows. Soundproofing companies offer acoustic door seal kits. They fit around doors or window edges to reduce sound coming through cracks.
6. Add X-Protector Felt Furniture Pads to create a shield between the floor and furniture's feet that carefully protect from noise and scuffs!