How a single carpet or rug can change how clearly you hear your TV

This happened a little while ago, but I laid a new carpet in my living room at home.

There are two reasons for this. One is to be able to lie down on the floor. The other is sound absorption.

Solid wood flooring and plaster do not absorb sound well

My living room has solid wood flooring, and the walls and ceiling are finished with plaster.

I really like the texture of the wood and the look of the plaster as a design choice. However, this combination has a weakness. Since both are hard materials with smooth surfaces, they reflect sound rather than absorbing it.

As a result, what was happening was that the TV sound was hard to hear. Voices and sounds were echoing in the room, and their outlines were blurred. It wasn't that I couldn't hear it if I turned up the volume, but it was somehow difficult to understand. In terms of comfort, it was one step short.

Just by laying down a carpet, the way I hear things changed

So, I tried laying a carpet in the living room.

The result is not what you would call dramatic. However, it is definitely easier to hear than before. Just by placing one carpet on the floor, the echo was suppressed to some extent, and the sound of the TV and conversations became easier to hear.

I didn't do any major construction. I didn't replace any materials either. I just added one piece of fabric to the floor. Even just that can change the sound environment of a room.

When hard materials are gathered, it becomes easier for sound to echo

Adding a perspective as an architect, this is not something special, but is due to the basic mechanism of sound.

When the floor, walls, and ceiling are all made of hard materials, sound is reflected repeatedly without being absorbed. While solid wood flooring and plaster are often chosen for their appeal in appearance and texture, there are actually not many cases where the sound environment is also considered.

On the other hand, fabric items such as rugs, carpets, curtains, and sofa cushions have the function of absorbing sound. How much of these materials you place in a space will greatly change how sound resonates.

Comfort can be adjusted later

What I felt again through this experience is that the comfort of a home does not have to be decided entirely at the design stage, but can be adjusted later.

Even without major renovations, the environment can change with a single item. Just like the mechanism for creating a 'house that tidies itself up,' I believe that comfort is also something that can be arranged through mechanisms rather than effort.

If you feel that the sound in your room is somewhat difficult to hear right now, I recommend starting by laying down a rug or carpet.