Do you need help reducing echo in a room cheaply? Over time, an echo can be annoying. If you are working at home, hearing your voice echo during an online meeting can be distracting. An echo can make a normal conversation at home feel maddening as multiple sound waves bounce off the walls into your ears.

Sound proofing items like acoustic panels are an effective solution to eliminate an echo. However, have you noticed how expensive and ugly they can be? If you are a homebody like me, you’ll want a solution that doesn’t compromise design.

You could easily eliminate echos using naturally sound-dampening decor and furniture. Yes! There are solutions that are both cost-effective AND attractive. In this blog post, I listed off several cheap solutions that aren’t ugly for your home.

Before we start, let’s talk about what is causing echos in your home.

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Causes Of Echoing In A Room

An echo in a room is also called a reverberation. Echos happen when sound waves are bouncing off of walls, floors, and ceilings repeatedly. That is why it sounds like your voice is repeating at delayed intervals.

The main reason why you have an echo is because sound is reflecting off your room’s flat surfaces. Sound waves like to bounce off of flat materials such as surfaces made of wood, stone, and tile.

In public places, you’ll notice that echos normally happen in a large empty room or hallway. Rooms that lack insulated materials also tend to echo. Sound waves travel best in rooms with high ceilings or long rooms. These places usually have the most satisfying echos. While echos can be fun for a short period of time, they can be annoying in your own home.

Now that you know the culprit of your echos, let’s talk about tips on reducing echo in a room cheaply.

Reducing Echo In A Room Cheaply

1. Fabric-Covered Furniture

If your home is empty and unfurnished, this is a perfect time to select furniture with materials that can naturally reduce an echo in a room. Fabric-covered furniture tends to absorb sound waves best. Examples of furniture to select are fabric-covered couches, chairs, and ottomans. If you need help decorating your home, I wrote some tips here.

If your home is already furnished, you can try to add additional textures. For example, you can toss a throw blanket over a wooden chair for a pop of color. Be creative when you incorporate additional pieces.

Do you have an outdoor hammock? If you have the space, bring it indoors! It can make your room feel fun and fresh. Its fabric material naturally absorbs sound waves for additional sound proofing.

Clever furniture placement will make a huge difference on reducing echo in a room cheaply. If you have existing soft textured furniture, I recommend arranging them closer to the center of the room. As the sound waves bounce off the walls, your furniture will absorb them.

2. Curtains

Do you have bare windows in your house or apartment? Why not try to cover them with curtains? The cloth materials of curtains naturally reduce sound waves from bouncing. They also provide privacy and block harsh sun rays from entering your home.

If you already have blinds in your home, you can still have curtains! They soften up any room and provide additional privacy when your blinds are open.

I recommend finding affordable curtains on Amazon like these linen curtains above!

Depending on the size and style of curtains, they can be expensive. In order to reduce echo in a room cheaply, make your own curtains! Don’t worry if you can’t sew! There are many online tutorials that don’t require any sewing skills.

DIY-ing your curtains can give you control over its size, material, translucency, color, and style. It can be a great way to cover oddly shaped windows and create curtains that fit the design of your home. I recommend making curtains with a light-colored cloth. Light colors tend to make rooms feel spacious. If you have the time, try making your own curtains!

Besides windows, consider covering an entire wall with curtains. You can even use curtains as a room divider for privacy. Curtains will provide an illusion of a larger space and might even reduce an echo completely. To start, you’ll need to buy a pressure rod to hang the curtains as well as a fabric of your choice.

3. Rugs

Hardwood floors are beautiful and easy to clean. However, its hard surface is the perfect medium for sound waves to bounce off of. In order to reduce the amount of flat surfaces in your home, I recommend purchasing a rug.

Rugs make any room feel homely and keep your toes warm on a cold day. They also are a great way to brighten up a room with a pop of color.

Rugs can visually divide up a room and transform an entire space. They also provide great sound proofing if you have neighbors below. They protect wooden floors and young children from injury. Try layering rugs for a dramatic effect and additional coverage.

If it fits the room’s interior design, you can even try hanging a rug on the wall! This is a great way to absorb sound waves that hit empty walls.

4. Tapestries

Tapestries are beautiful to look at and affordable for most individuals. That is why many college students use tapestries in their dorms! If you don’t have wall art in your home, you can try hanging a tapestry for reducing echo in a room cheaply.

There are so many designs and styles to chose from. I’m sure you’ll be able to find one that fits your room’s aesthetic.

When you hang up wall art for the purpose of reducing echos, placement is important! If you have two tapestries, place the tapestries on opposing walls. This will help sound waves from bouncing off of them.

This mountain and forest is affordable and adorable. You can great a looking piece of wall art while reducing your echo!

5. Canvas Wall Art

If you don’t like the laidback look of tapestries, you can try purchasing canvas art! Canvas art can be more affordable purchased as a set. They also will make the room look more put together and reduce an echo similar to how a tapestry does.

If you don’t like the options available or want to add your own personality into your space, you can try painting your own wall art. I recommend purchasing canvases and paint from Micheals (they tend to have great deals once in a while, so you can get a set of canvases at a huge discount).

You can get a pack of 8 canvases for an affordable price on Amazon!

When you DIY, you can use this opportunity to have an artsy night at home. Pull up a Bob Ross tutorial with a family member, roommate, or significant other and start painting! You can make a great memory and wall art at the same time!

6. Clothes Hanger Rack

This idea can be bold for your home. Depending on the room, you can try displaying clothes on a clothing rack. Clothing and fabric materials naturally buffer echos. If you have extra space in your room, you can try to taking out extra pieces from your wardrobe.

Your clothing rack can be used to display your favorite dresses, jackets, or scarves. If you love fashion and showing off your outfits, you’ll love this idea! This area can also be used to place guests’ coats and jackets.

You can allocate this space for getting ready for the day. It’ll also provide additional storage for your outfits. The only downside is that you’ll have to keep it looking tidy.

7. Plants

Plants are wonderful at making a room feel alive. Visually, they give you a boost of energy and create a happier environment to live in. They also go great with any room style.

You don’t need to buy live plants if you have a hard time keeping them alive. Fake plants are as effective as live ones without the additional care. Looking for the best cheap artificial plants to buy online? I got you covered.

Plants can prevent sound waves from bouncing off of them making them ideal for reducing echo in a room cheaply. I would pick a plant with large leaves for best results.

8. Books and Bookshelves

Are you a book lover? If you do, awesome! Try using your books to dampen echos in your room! The materials of books naturally absorb sound waves so you can cleverly utilize them into your space to reduce echos.

Try adding a large bookshelf to hold your books. This bookshelf can also provide sound proofing for a noisy neighbor next door. On a wall, you can place books on separate shelves if you prefer them over wall art. On the floor, you can try stacking your books alongside a wall. Of course, this might look a little messy and be impractical for book-reading. However you chose, make sure to work around your space. You don’t want to have guests to tripping over your books!

9. Just Fill Up Your Space!

Did you notice how empty rooms tend to echo no matter the size? Decor pieces in your home can naturally block or absorb sound waves, preventing echos from traveling. If you’ve already gone down the list and still have an unwanted echo, I recommend filling your space with more decor pieces.

Purchase pillows, throw blankets, baskets, and trinkets. Add items to introduce different textures to your home. These items can be fun to purchase and arrange. The more filled a space is, the higher chance for sound waves to absorb into decor pieces.

Don’t feel pressure to purchase a lot pieces. You can accidentally make your home cluttered and spend more than needed. I recommend purchasing one item at a time. Add pieces to your home slowly and see how well your room responds to sound. Always buy items that either serve a functional purpose or bring you joy when you see them your apartment or house.

10. DIY Acoustic Panels

Let’s be honest here. If you tried all the solutions above (or these options don’t work for your space) AND you still have an echo, you might actually have to purchase acoustic panels. Acoustic panels can look harsh visually in a living space and be expensive, so I recommend creating one yourself.

To DIY an acoustic panel, purchase flat pieces of foam from an arts and crafts store like Micheals. For an even more cost effective solution, you can look for donated foam mattress toppers in a thrift store. I personally have not seen foam pads in the thrift stores I’ve been to, but I know that is something people can donate.

To begin, cut the foam pad into the size of your choice. You’ll need to have a fabric that works well with the interior design of your space. Wrap your selected fabric over your foam pad tightly. You can then use hot glue or staples to attach the fabric on the foam. You’re done! You can attach your DIY acoustic panel to your wall with several command strips. This is great tip for reducing echo in a room cheaply.

Conclusion: Reducing Echo In A Room Cheaply

The key takeaway is to include items into your space that are made up of fabric. Use these pieces to block hard surfaces that easily bounce off echos.

Be creative when you come up with decor ideas and how you position them in your space. To reduce echoing, you’ll want opposing flat surfaces to be covered. Be clever when you arrange furniture and decor. Centering fabric pieces at the center of the room will help block sound waves from bouncing off the walls.

Don’t feel pressured to purchase a lot of pieces for your home. Add one item at a time to see how well it absorbs the echos in your place. To save money, I recommend purchasing furniture and decor items secondhand at thrift stores.

Lastly, consider DIY-ing your own furniture, art, or decor! This can create a fun activity and cost effective solution for reducing echo in a room cheaply. It is 100% possible to reduce an echo in a room with a solution that is inexpensive and looks good. What cheap solutions do you have for reducing an echo in your home? Let me know how it went!