Why Acoustics are the most overlooked element in wellness space design
I had a rare night to myself recently and finally used a spa voucher I'd been holding onto for almost a year. The space was lovely. Exactly what you'd expect - soft lighting, warm towels, a considered palette. Every visual element had been thoughtfully curated to create a sense of calm and escape. But there was one element that felt slightly overlooked. The acoustics.
The creak of floorboards as someone walked past in the hallway. The hum and rattle of a washing machine in the next room. A cupboard closing a little too loudly during the treatment. Each moment was small but noticeable. Not enough to ruin the experience, but enough to interrupt it. To bring me back into awareness when I was trying to let go. And it made me think about another treatment I'd had the year before, where I felt completely immersed from start to finish. Nothing pulled me out of it. The difference between those two experiences wasn't the lighting, the decor, or the quality of the treatment. It was the sound.
Why acoustics matter more than most people realise
When we think about interior design (particularly in wellness, allied health, and service-based spaces) the conversation almost always starts with the visual. Colour palettes, furniture, lighting, layout. These are the elements that photograph well, that clients notice consciously, that feel tangible and easy to act on. Acoustics are different. They work below the surface.
When a space sounds right, you don't notice it - you simply feel calm and settled. When it doesn't, you might not be able to articulate why the space feels slightly off. You just know something is missing. This is exactly why acoustics are so often overlooked. They're invisible until they're not working.
For wellness businesses: spas, massage studios, yoga and pilates spaces, psychology practices, naturopathy clinics - this matters enormously. Your clients are often in a state of heightened sensitivity. They've come to your space specifically to decompress, to feel safe, to be present. Sound interruptions don't just break the mood, they can affect the therapeutic value of the experience itself. For allied health practices in particular, acoustic privacy is also a clinical and ethical consideration. Clients need to feel confident that what they share in a consulting room stays there.
What holistic design considers beyond the visual
A holistic approach to interior design considers all of the sensory layers of a space - not just how it looks, but how it sounds, how it feels underfoot, how it smells, and how all of these elements work together to shape the experience of being there. In practice, acoustic design in wellness and allied health spaces involves several key considerations.
Flooring choice
Flooring choice has a significant impact on sound absorption and transmission. Hard floors reflect sound and amplify footsteps and movement. Carpet, cork, and acoustic underlays absorb sound and reduce noise travel between rooms, which is particularly important in multi-room practices where privacy matters.
wall and ceiling materials
Wall and ceiling materials play a similar role. Softer materials, textured wall treatments, acoustic panels, heavy curtains or drapes absorb sound rather than reflecting it. In spaces where budgets are tight, even the addition of soft furnishings like rugs, cushions, and upholstered pieces can make a meaningful difference to how sound behaves in a room.
layout
Layout and room adjacency matter too. Where you position high-traffic or noisy areas (reception, kitchens, bathrooms) in relation to quiet zones (consulting rooms, treatment rooms) has a direct impact on acoustic privacy. Good spatial planning considers these relationships from the outset rather than trying to solve noise problems after the fact.
mechanical noise
Finally, mechanical noise - HVAC systems, washing machines, plumbing etc. is worth considering during any fit-out or refresh. These are often the sounds that feel most jarring in a quiet therapeutic environment, and addressing them early is far easier than retrofitting solutions later.
The spaces that get this right feel effortless
The best wellness spaces - the ones where clients feel genuinely held and practitioners can do their best work tend to get the acoustic layer right, even if no one consciously notices. That's the goal. Not a space that draws attention to how well-designed it is, but one where everything works so seamlessly that people simply feel good being there. Calm without knowing why. Safe without being able to explain it. Present without effort. Sound is one of the most powerful contributors to that feeling and it's one of the most frequently missed. If you've ever walked out of a beautiful space feeling like something was slightly off, or walked into an unremarkable one and felt immediately at ease, there's a good chance acoustics had something to do with it. It's worth paying attention to.
How to start thinking about acoustics in your own space
You don't need a full acoustic audit to start improving how your space sounds, however a few questions worth asking:
Can conversations in your consulting or treatment rooms be heard from the waiting area or hallway?
Do footsteps, mechanical noise, or sounds from adjacent rooms regularly interrupt sessions?
Does the space feel loud or echoey, or does it absorb and settle sound well?
Have clients ever mentioned noise, or seemed distracted by sound during a session?
If any of these resonate, it's worth looking at acoustics as part of your next design review.
A Space Review looks at your space holistically - including how it sounds, how it flows, and how every element works together to shape the experience of being there. If you'd like a fresh perspective on what your space could feel like with the acoustic layer considered, I'd love to help.
