The Hard and Soft of It: Hardening of Homes in North America
At some point in the 1970s or 1980s, there came a grandiose design scheme called “open concept”. This truly changed the way our homes functioned. The open concept designer trends became wildly popular – and yet not a single consideration was made for the acoustical sacrifice that comes along with these aesthetic changes. Ponder this quote: “When we come home, it’s supposed to be our sanctuary. What’s happened is, we’ve gone on this amazing technological revolution where everything around us is technology but often the compromise in the design is that the sound hasn’t been considered, so you’ve got this massive orchestra at home.” My recently passed father-in-law, John, certainly felt the effects of this acoustical "orchestra" while living in our home. When my daughter would serve meals on our quartz kitchen island, John would cringe at the sound of the dishware clanking on the hard surface. Switching to a more sound-absorbent countertop surface would