Lighting the Way to Better Sounding Spaces Clients Will Adore

Create swoon-worthy spaces your clients won’t want to leave by thinking of acoustics and lighting in one cohesive design. Delivering a space where people want to be means addressing the essential design elements that impact occupant well-being. Sound and light may seem like two separate elements, but in addressing them together, you’ll deliver a more thoughtful, elevated space while helping to ensure acoustics stay in the budget.

Create an experience that’s enjoyable and beneficial for anyone who walks through the doors by finding the perfect balance of light and sound. While tackling acoustics and lighting together may seem intimidating, we’ve got you covered with 5 quick tips to help you achieve the right acoustic and lighting design for any client.

Ceiling space may be limited, but there are simple ways to make the most of that territory. Make that ceiling space work harder and serve several purposes for clients by dropping pendant lights through acoustic clouds or baffles. With PET felt clouds, you can cut through the material to drop a light source through it or scatter pendant lights around them for clusters of clouds. These solutions allow for interesting details of the acoustic clouds to be illuminated, increasing the visual impact while helping hide unsightly mechanics like HVAC or sprinkler systems. Perfect for lowering volume in noisy high-ceiling spaces like lobbies and restaurants, you can easily pair pendant lights with a variety of exciting acoustic options including EchoCloud Deep, EchoStar+, or EchoCloud Perforated (which already has circle cut outs to play with)!

Let the light shine but hide its source to go for an elegant, glowing look. This popular trend can often be seen through backlighting and uplighting to achieve a softer, more ambient feel. When you incorporate acoustic elements to hide the light source, you can create an ideal audio-visual balance to set the perfect mood - especially in restaurant settings or hotel lobbies and halls where atmosphere is crucial. Highlight the way lighting interacts with acoustic features by playing with dimensional textured wall panels like Kirei’s EchoLine and EchoEdge, or the Embossed Panel Series by Woven Image®. Dynamic shadows and shapes created by this technique will give any space added drama and flare while maintaining a beautifully balanced sound quality.

Steal the show with sculptural shapes and bold designs that turn your light fixtures into works of art. In line with Tip #1, work lighting into your sculptural acoustic solutions to provide an interesting focal point that draws attention even with the lights turned off. PET felt is easy to cut and manipulate, allowing for plenty of freedom for creativity and original designs. Plus, with more than 30 EchoPanel® colors to choose from, it’s simple to find the perfect palette to make your acoustic focal piece pop. Work with your favorite lighting consultant to get playful with custom lighting solutions that delightfully incorporate acoustics.

Make acoustic magic happen on walls big and small. There’s no need to limit wall texture because of lighting - cut through PET panels to install sconces or work around fixtures with acoustic tiles. PET felt panels are simple to integrate with on-wall lighting fixtures to help light the way in long halls, restaurants, or reception areas - just cut through the panel where needed to install. And with fun shapes like Sync, Racetrack, or custom cut tiles, you can easily piece together fantastic feature walls like a playful puzzle of lighting and acoustics to brighten up any space.

Keep it simple with a symmetrical design. While abstract sculptures or staggering elements may be trendy, symmetry is always in vogue. Baffles bring an ease to this style - just align, space out evenly, and hang for a seamless, clean-ceiling design. Lights can be installed between every baffle or in a symmetrical sequence for an effortlessly stunning result. Bring this look into larger open work spaces or auditoriums where sound control and quality lighting is especially important. With an array of baffle options including Simple Baffle+, H Baffle, O Baffle, and more, there are plenty of options to spice up the symmetry in any space.

To get started with creating your client’s new favorite space, begin by zeroing in on the areas where acoustic control matters the most. No matter what style or trend you land on, be purposeful with your placement by identifying spaces where collaboration takes place, high-traffic zones, or echo-prone areas. When you look at how a space is used organically, you can find the spots where sound waves need to be stifled and light the way to a superior sound experience.