Because home studios double as living spaces, it is crucial that their decor incorporates similar colors and styles throughout. Too many contrasting pieces may create an awkward visual experience that’s hard to enjoy.
Room dividers, area rugs and furniture placement can help define specific areas in an efficiency apartment. For instance, this bedroom features elements from popular hotels to create an intimate retreat-like experience.
1. Open Plan
Home studios come in all shapes and sizes, from closets in converted bedrooms to whole basements. There are many styles and layouts to consider when setting up a home studio at your own place of recording; one important element will likely be acoustic treatment: sound absorbers, diffusors, noise reduction materials that help ensure it remains quiet in the room.
Design of your home studio can have an enormous impact on its acoustics. Opting for neutral colors, light wood floors and natural textures will help reduce reflections and noise from outside the room, while installing acoustic panels on ceiling or walls may help further minimize transmission and vibrations within it. This is particularly helpful in basement studios without windows where harsh first reflections and sub-buildup can develop quickly.
An essential feature of an outstanding home studio is an open floor plan to facilitate easy and stress-free hosting of guests. This style has become increasingly popular over time and makes music production simpler as multiple rooms can be utilized simultaneously without being interrupted by conversations or other noises.
Home studio designs reveal much about its creator and musical style, especially for professional musicians with dedicated spaces to work on their craft. Therefore, many popular musicians’ studios feature minimal design with clean lines and minimalist hardware to exude professionalism and efficiency; one example being Deadmau5’s studio.
2. Canopy Above the Bed
One of the greatest obstacles facing home studios that are housed within rooms that also function as bedrooms or other residential-purpose spaces is acoustic treatment. Recording and mixing require an environment in which sound absorption happens instead of transmission and redirection around the space; luckily, there are creative solutions that won’t compromise aesthetic or performance, providing the optimal space for creativity.
A canopy above the bed can provide an effective solution for bedroom-turned-studio situations, especially if that bedroom has become an office. Braided cords create an eye-catching feature while simultaneously helping to block out sound and create a moody environment to work in; especially helpful when trying to focus on production without distraction from other people in the house. Hang a soft-colored canopy – such as this pink design by Flo Design Studio – in the center of your room to promote an inviting ambience for productivity.
Home studio owners who want to get more practical can benefit from creative storage solutions that both save space and offer quick access to gear. Wall hangers designed specifically to hold synths, midi keyboards and guitar pedals can be an excellent way to organize the workspace while keeping instruments close at hand and easily accessible – this can be especially important in smaller-room home studios with limited floor space that could otherwise be utilized for recording or other tasks.
3. Sliding Barn Door
Barn doors elevate farmhouse chic to new levels. Ideal for rooms with open floorplans, these sliding barn doors divide space without blocking views or diminishing natural light. Plus, unlike traditional doors, sliding barn doors don’t need jambs or hinges for installation – making them suitable even in spaces without existing door openings!
This home studio layout features a sliding barn door as a division between living and work areas, adding texture and character to the room while simultaneously serving as a visual reminder to focus on work. Art, plants, or motivational quotes may all help set the scene and drive productivity.
Sliding barn doors not only add visual interest, but they can also offer significant acoustic benefits by absorbing noise and insulating spaces from sound transfer between spaces. Wood floors, walls, and ceilings can all act as excellent acoustic elements; however, sliding barn doors offer even greater acoustic insulation as they can be closed/opened to minimize sound transference between rooms.
Sliding barn doors make an excellent addition to bathrooms because they take up less space when opened compared to regular doors, saving on floor space in narrower rooms and saving energy as a result. Plus, DIY kits make installation a snap: simply measure the width of your bathroom opening before ordering a kit that suits it; follow its directions and install track and sliding hardware accordingly.
Sliding barn doors may not be ideal for rooms that require complete privacy or soundproofing, but they make an effective divider between separate parts of a home, such as bedrooms, offices or studios. To add a splash of style to any room consider painting it a bold color or embellishing it with geometric patterns for an extra personal touch.
4. Bar Cart
Investing in hardware may tempt those serious about home music production, but it is wise to remember that software emulators now available can take you as far without investing thousands of dollars worth of equipment – some musicians even prefer all-software setups!
Establishing a home studio can be an ideal solution for those with limited square footage or who do not wish to invest too much in furniture, yet finding an appropriate spot can prove challenging. A bar cart may provide the ideal solution, making styling effortless while serving as a makeshift mixing desk!
Bar carts make the perfect display space for decorative accents, eye-catching flowers and greenery, and statement pieces of art. Arent & Pykd implemented one in their colorful bedroom by placing vases, plants and decorative oars atop their cart.
Bar carts make great nightstands when used strategically in bedrooms with bold aesthetics, providing plenty of storage for clocks, books and other bedroom essentials while still taking up minimal floor space. You could also utilize one in the bathroom as part of spa-inspired decor to store soaps, towels and other essentials – this could especially come in handy if your mix desk is located close to doors or windows; by treating this area properly with an acoustic treatment plan for first reflections and bass build up it could help avoid an echoing mess when working!
5. Corner Shower
Corner shower home studio layouts can be an efficient way to save space. They’re particularly useful if you need to divide a small room into multiple sections for music production or other uses; and best of all, no walls need be torn down or doors sacrificed – simply add custom shower curtains that match the aesthetic of your studio setup!
Keep in mind that any residential studio will require some form of acoustic treatment in order to achieve an ideal workflow and inspiring vibe, although the aesthetic might differ greatly from a studio built solely for mixing and mastering music.
Small corner showers are versatile additions to modern decor styles, making them especially effective when designing your studio in limited space. As this example demonstrates, corner showers provide ample storage space for monitor stands, audio components such as microphones, amps and mixers while being easy to keep organized due to their clear view.
Visual interest can help transform your studio into more of an effective work space and less of a living room, such as by adding artwork, knick-knacks and motivational quotes. Don’t be afraid of mixing metals either – as Kris Jarret of Driven by Decor points out, hardware doesn’t need to match perfectly for it to look good with your bathroom decor – for instance a black shower enclosure would still look fantastic when combined with chrome or brushed nickel faucets and towel bars!