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S2 · E746 min

The sound of a room

Acoustic designer Ines Okafor on why some rooms feel calm and others exhausting, and how a rug and a bookshelf can change your home.

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46:06

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Ines Okafor has tuned concert halls, libraries and one very loud restaurant. She explains how sound shapes the way we feel in a space, and how to make a calmer room without a builder.

In this episode

  • Why rooms sound different
  • The restaurant that was too loud to talk in
  • Quick fixes for a calmer home

A full bookshelf is one of the best diffusers you can buy.

Ines Okafor

Mentioned in the show

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Transcript

1 min read

Maya Ines, when you walk into a room, what do you notice first?

Ines How long my footsteps last. A clap tells you more about a room than a floor plan does.

Ines The restaurant had concrete, glass and a marble bar. Beautiful in photos. In real life, people were shouting by eight o’clock.

Ines Hard surfaces throw sound back at you. Soft and uneven ones break it up. You want a mix.

Maya What can someone do at home this weekend?

Ines A big rug, heavy curtains, and fill the bookshelf. A full bookshelf is one of the best diffusers you can buy.

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