The Living Room: How to Create a ‘Sound’ Space

If you’re thinking about redecorating your living room, then you’ve likely got furniture, carpet, curtains and light fixtures on the brain. However, have you ever stopped to think about the value of a good sound system? 

You can pump up the latest toddler hits or connect the system to your TV — making sure you hear every pint pulled on EastEnders. It’ll even add value to your house! Here are some tips for how to arrange your living room to make the most of a sound system:

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wickenden/3726226749/sizes/z/ 

Receiver
The positioning of the sound system is crucial. You want leads out of the way of any curious children, but you also want to make the most of the sound. The central receive is the essence of an audio-video (AV) system. Every source (the TV, speakers, game console and more) connects to the receiver so you need to put it somewhere accessible. A television unit or full entertainment unit is designed for technology such as this, so you may want to consider getting one of these. 

Alternatively, head to an estate sale or flea market and see if you can get a vintage bookshelf. Place the receiver on a shelf amongst the books, photo frames and stuffed animals so it will blend in. As long as it’s high enough and the cords all trail down the back, it should be safely out of the way. 

Speakers
You’ll want to disperse your speakers around the room so that no matter where you sit, you hear quality sound. The shape of the room plays a big role in deciding where to place speakers. The natural speaker setting for a square living room, for instance, is in each of the corners. If you have a rectangular room or room with a sloped ceiling, you’ll have to think a bit harder about placement. Never underestimate the old ‘trial and error’ method of arranging your speakers in a variety of locations to test the sound and go with whatever sounds the best. 

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brunogirin/70455646/sizes/z/ 

Go wireless
Finally, to get a system that is truly child-friendly (in other words — out of the way!), consider something wireless. You won’t have to worry about children tripping over leads and it’s easy to install the system throughout the rest of the house, or even the back garden! 

With some careful thought and preparation, anyone can set up a quality, child-friendly sound system. Only thing left to do is get the Peppa Pig and Postman Pat soft toys out for a dance party! 

(Images by wickenden and Bruno Girin, used under Creative Commons licence.)

*Rosemary Swithenbank is a mum of three who is passionate about music and technology. When not changing nappies or taking the kids to school, she loves getting to rock gigs. 

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