There was a time when every home had a music room, but as apartments started getting smaller and more and more people found themselves living with roommates, they quickly fell out of fashion.
However, if you’re sharing an apartment, stuck in close quarters at all times with other people, a dedicated room to decompress and either play or listen to music couldn’t be more important. You need somewhere to “get away from it all” that isn’t just your bedroom.
If you have the space, here’s a couple of tips to get your music room just right.
Sound Proofing
The first thing you need for a music room is sound proofing. If you’re playing music, you don’t want it blaring out and annoying the neighbors. If you’re listening to music, you don’t want every car driving past outside to interrupt the quiet parts of whatever music you’re enjoying.
The key here is to invest a good set of soundproof curtains to cover up the windows in the room – probably the biggest point of entry/exit for sound.
You may also want to look at panels for the walls if your roommates are especially noisy, but beware of putting egg cartons on the walls – that’s only good for reducing reverberation within the room. It does nothing to keep sound either in or out.
If your issue is noisy downstairs neighbors, consider picking up a thick rug to cover the floor, perhaps even with a layer of cork board underneath. This will both dampen the sound coming from you and protect you from the sound of their TV or even their kids.
Comfortable Seating
You want your music room to be comfortable, right? A music room where you’re just sitting on a plastic folding chair isn’t really going to be particularly enjoyable.
Invest in a decent thick armchair or a sofa large enough to lay out on and get as relaxed as possible while listening to music.
If the room is for creating music, you’ll want to put a little more care into selecting the correct furniture. If it’s electronic music, get a decent quality desk chair. If you’re looking to play guitar, you’ll want a chair either with no arms or with arms that can be put up or down. If the room will feature a piano, get a decent quality piano bench that can also double as storage for your sheet music, as well as a seat for visitors.
Remember as well that you’re probably not the only person that will be in there, and if you’re setting up a home studio in your music room, you will undoubtably be looking to have friends around to hear the music you’re creating. Consider adding a decent sized and comfortable couch opposite your workstation so that your guests will have a balanced sound of both of your studio monitors.
Ambiance
A music room that’s got bare walls and a bare bulb isn’t going to be very vibey now is it?
This is where you add all of the finishing touches to make your music room a super comfortable and fun place to hang out. Consider adding some green plants to the room (though if you do go the soundproof curtain route, make sure they can live with little sun). A couple of posters can go a long way. If you’re feeling extra flash, consider an aquarium with some colorful fish and changing lighting to really make it a place that you can chill out in.
Conclusion
It’s important to have a room in your house that isn’t pure function. A kitchen is for cooking, bedroom is for sleeping, and the living room in an apartment is often a place that you end up being around others.
Get your music room set up and soon you’ll have a space to get away from everyone and get lost in music.
What could be better than that?