When displaying pictures on the wall, at home or in an art gallery, sound is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind. But acoustics are important to consider in an environment that aims to set a mood and be immersive, more so than we might think.

You may be thinking, “You hang a picture on the wall, it stays static. It’s a picture. What problems could there be regarding sound?” Our answer to that is: while it’s easy to control how gallery walls look like, it’s not as easy to manage what happens around it, including the noise generated by day-to-day activity.

That’s why in this article, we will discuss why a soundproof room and acoustics matter in displaying art and wall decor, which situations and spaces call for a quiet display, and how to achieve this by making your gallery walls soundproof.

Shall we dive in? Read on!

Even if your space does not have any of these sources of noise, it might be an area that still requires quiet, like a reading nook, a study, or a nursery. This similarly applies to rooms that share thinner walls.

External noise, reverberation, weather, and physical contact all impact the acoustics of a room with an art display. What’s more, when these auditory disruptions are in excess, they can damage delicate art pieces. A quiet display or one that minimizes noise levels using the right tools will preserve artwork much better than a display that doesn’t have any buffers against these disturbances.

We can categorize how to create a noise-free gallery wall and how to soundproof a room into three ways: absorb the noise, block it, or prevent it.

Most soundproofing techniques aim to absorb noise instead of having them reflect back around a space. This is how acoustic wall panels work, perhaps the most popular way for professionals to create a soundproof room. 

Acoustic wall panels are soundproof panels wrapped with fabric to achieve this aim. This way of addressing noise is the most comprehensive and requires the most effort. In a room with art, installing acoustic soundproof panels on the wall can be done in different ways. You can install them:

• on the wall without art

• on the ceiling

• on the panels themselves, but you may be limited to lightweight pictures only

Other materials that absorb sound are hanging baffles and certain fabrics and furniture, like fibrous mineral wool, cotton, polyester, felt, carpets, and soundproof curtains and draperies. All of these can reduce noise as well as reverberation by absorbing them. With the proper technique, gallery walls benefiting from these materials will be a calm and relaxing display.

To block noise, set up noise barriers around the room. Noise barriers isolate noise rather than absorb them, and this way of creating a quiet art display is ideal especially for rooms that accommodate a variety of activities, like music playing. Blocking noise is also effective for external noise like traffic or chatter in the next room.

A room partition or room divider, including acoustic partitions or customized ones, is the most straightforward way to block noise. Even soundproof curtains can function similarly like a room partition with proper placement. You don’t necessarily have to place a room divider in front of your gallery display, but in spots where the unwanted noise tends to begin. 

You can also insulate walls and windows. Soundproof insulation works by dampening any noise and keeping it from bouncing around. Regular insulated walls can achieve this, but acoustic insulation or soundproof insulation is installed specifically to address noise and may work much better in setting up a peaceful gallery display.

So now we know that you can use tools that absorb or block noise. But you may also find yourself in a situation where neither of these methods apply or are practical for you. In that case, this last method may be the solution. The third way to create a noiseless art display is to prevent noise before it can happen.

Of course, with external noise, like outside traffic or noise from the neighbors, you can’t really control whether it occurs or not and the best thing you can do is to limit the effect when the noise does occur, which is what the previous two methods are for. However, the pictures hanging on your wall themselves can be a source of noise. This is where preventing noise before it happens comes in.

For instance, some pictures hung on hooks don’t quite rest flush against the wall, leaning slightly forward and creating a gap between them and the wall. Anyone who walks past them or gets closer to the wall may easily bump a picture, making a clatter and possibly even knocking the picture over.

To prevent these scenarios, you can fortunately look to several solutions. One is to secure your art using hardware that reduces wall standoff. French cleats are excellent hanging tools for this purpose. Cleats are long flat strips of metal that support a frame equally along most of its width, and their sleek interlocking design is what makes a clean display with almost no gap between the frame and wall possible.

In the case of clattering sounds upon physical contact, hardware that supports artwork is highly effective, like bumpers. Frame bumpers are small stick-on spacers made of rubber or felt that act as protection for walls from damage and as anti-slip tools for frames. 

Aside from bumpers and other framing tools, picture frames themselves can be adjusted to limit noise as much as possible. To avoid incidents that create a noisy ruckus, you can stick to small frames or even paper-based frames. Small pictures usually do not require heavy-duty hangers, so appropriate lightweight hangers will do the trick, such as:

• push pins

• adhesive picture hangers

• foamboard hangers

These hangers are not at all bulky, so they offer a similarly small standoff for pictures from the wall.

Sound and noise are not usually issues that are top of mind for most people who set up gallery walls. But to create a truly relaxing environment for everyone who looks at your art display, including you, taking noise levels into consideration can be an essential part of setting up artwork, whether at home or in a professional gallery setting.

Tools and materials that absorb, block, and prevent noise all contribute to the noiseless atmosphere we desire for our artwork. Some of them are best suited for dealing with noise all around our vicinity that is out of our hands, or to keep any sort of noise at all in check. Others are ideal for keeping frames static and free from being a source of clatter.

All of these approaches show how to soundproof a room, but they also protect your artwork from damage and preserve them in the case of disturbances noise-wise, and they all help you create a tranquil space for your art and anyone who wants to appreciate them.

What do you think of our discussion about soundproofing art displays? We’d love to hear any thoughts you want to add—we’re sure they’ll be valuable to members of our community.

Happy hanging!