17+ ways to reduce Office Noise, sound management in open plan offices

Office noise is one of the biggest hidden productivity killers in today’s workplaces.

At Source One Consulting, we see it every day – open-plan offices that look great on paper but become distracting and tiring once people move in and start working. And it’s not just offices. Factories, warehouses and workshops often face their own acoustic challenges, from machinery noise to echoing high ceilings and sound travelling into admin areas.

Our family-run team has spent more than 20 years designing and fitting out workplaces across the UK, so we understand how quickly unwanted noise can chip away at concentration, wellbeing and job satisfaction.

This guide focuses on practical steps businesses often try first – from quick wins and layout changes to longer-term investments that can make a real difference. Many noise problems can be improved with thoughtful planning and simple adjustments. When noise becomes persistent and starts affecting meetings, calls or productivity, more specialist workplace acoustics may be required.

Below, we’ve pulled together over 17 proven ways to reduce office noise, based on what we’ve learned from real projects in offices, warehouses and mixed-use workspaces across the UK.

How do you cut office noise?

Open-plan offices remain popular in 2025 thanks to their flexibility, space efficiency and collaborative potential. But alongside the benefits comes the most common employee complaint: office noise.

From constant conversations and phone calls to clattering printers and background chatter, unwanted sound is a serious distraction. Research suggests employees can lose over an hour of productive time each day due to noise interruptions, and with hybrid working and video calls now part of daily office life, the challenge has only grown.

Do you know if your office has a noise problem?

What might sound like a healthy workplace “buzz” to managers can feel like a distracting din to staff. We’ve walked into many offices where the leadership team genuinely didn’t realise how noisy things had become until staff spoke up.

The truth is, we all react differently to sound. One person’s background hum is another’s breaking point. And when people are trying to write reports, analyse figures or handle confidential calls, the impact of noise is even greater.

Noise problems aren’t limited to office blocks. We often work with businesses where the office is attached to a warehouse or factory floor. The hum of machinery or repetitive impact sounds can travel straight into admin areas, creating stress and distraction for staff.

Noise in the workplace isn’t just annoying. It can be stressful, draining and bad for decision-making. The good news is there are plenty of ways to get it under control.

17+ Ways to Reduce Office Noise

We’ve grouped the solutions into three sections – quick fixes, design and layout changes and long-term acoustic investments. This mirrors the way many noise reduction projects naturally progress.

Quick Fixes

1. Desk bench system screens

Bench desks are brilliant for collaboration, but they don’t give much in the way of privacy or quiet. Adding acoustic screens between positions helps absorb and deflect noise.

Tip from Lisa: Screens don’t have to look dull. Match colours to your branding or choose fabric finishes that lift the space.
2. Remove PC boxes from desks
We still see towers sat on desks, humming away while staff lean on them for extra monitor height. Hanging them beneath the desk clears space and moves the noise further away.
3. Isolate IT equipment
Printers and copiers are noisy in two ways – when they’re working and when people gather round them. Moving them to a separate, screened area cuts down both.
4. Plants and living walls
Yes, plants really do help with noise. They break up sound waves and soften the feel of the office at the same time. Living walls are especially effective.
5. Masking sounds
Adding a layer of ambient background sound makes sharp noises less noticeable. There are lots of smart systems on the market now that are subtle and easy to use.
6. Humorous signage and etiquette reminders
Some problems are about behaviour, not layout. A light-hearted sign reminding people to keep their voices down in shared spaces can go a long way.

Design and Layout Adjustments

7. Dedicated quiet spaces
Give staff somewhere to escape when deep focus is needed. A quiet room or zone is more realistic than trying to keep a whole open-plan silent.
8. Dedicated noisy spaces
Flip it around. Provide areas where conversations, training sessions and lunches are welcome, so people don’t disturb those who need calm.
9. Office screens
Screens break up big spaces and help control sound. They can be free-standing, fabric, glass or even green walls.

Tip from Chloe: Screens work best when they’re part of a layout plan, not just dropped in afterwards.
10. Acoustic wall panels
Panels absorb sound and reduce echo. The best ones look like pieces of art, so you improve both acoustics and aesthetics in one go.
11. Acoustic ceiling panels
Ceiling panels work overhead to reduce noise bouncing back down. Angled shapes and suspended “rafts” look good and work well.
12. Noise-friendly flooring
Carpet tiles or rubber floors absorb sound better than hard surfaces. Even choosing the right underlay can cut down vibration from machinery or footfall.
13. Layout review
Sometimes the simplest fix is to move things around. If noisy equipment sits in the middle of your workspace, or desks are positioned right by a corridor, you’ll always struggle. Layout is where we start every project.

Long-Term Acoustic Investments

14. Acoustic walls
Specialist acoustic walls or bricks create strong barriers and are ideal if you need to separate noisy and quiet departments.
15. Office partitions
Glazed or solid partitions are excellent for carving out meeting rooms or private work zones while keeping the office open and light.
16. Meeting booths and pods
Pods give you flexible, semi-private meeting spaces without major building work. They use acoustic materials to keep sound in check.
17. Quiet pods
Soundproof pods are brilliant for individual focus work or confidential calls. They also make a strong design statement.
18. Insulation
If noise comes from above, below or next door, acoustic insulation in walls, ceilings and floors is one of the most effective long-term fixes.
19. Screening between office and production areas
Where offices are located next to noisy workshops or warehouses, well-placed partitions or glazed walls with acoustic properties can stop sound travelling across.
20. Acoustic treatment for high-ceiling spaces
Warehouses and large workshops often suffer from echo. Installing acoustic panels at height or adding baffles to ceilings helps absorb sound and make communication safer and clearer.

If you’ve reached the point where layout changes and basic treatments aren’t enough, this is where specialist acoustic testing and targeted solutions make a measurable difference.

What’s new in 2025?

We’re seeing more businesses invest in:

Acoustic lighting: sound-absorbing pendants and ceiling features.
Video call pods: compact booths for Teams and Zoom calls.
AI-driven noise masking: smart sound systems that adapt to your space.
Hybrid zoning: layouts that balance collaboration with focus.
Wellbeing-led design: recognising that cutting noise improves mental health, not just productivity.

Start with layout and planning

From our experience, the best place to start is layout. You can always add pods, panels and partitions later, but if desks are crowded into the wrong spot or noisy equipment sits in the middle of the workspace, sound will always travel.

Tip from Lisa: Every office is different, so we don’t believe in throwing in lots of kit for the sake of it. Our approach is to carry out sound testing, make practical layout recommendations, then install and test solutions step by step. That way you only invest where it makes a real difference, without unnecessary overspend.

FAQs on Office Noise Reduction

How can I reduce noise in an open-plan office?
Start with layout and behaviour. Move noisy equipment, add screens, and create both quiet and noisy zones.

What are the cheapest ways to reduce office noise?
Plants, desk screens and relocating printers are quick wins.

Are office pods effective?
Yes. They’re designed to absorb sound and are great for meetings and video calls without disturbing others.

Does flooring really make a difference?
Absolutely. Hard floors bounce sound around. Carpet, cork or rubber absorb it.

Is reducing noise good for wellbeing?
Definitely. Too much noise causes stress and fatigue. Reducing it supports both wellbeing and productivity.

Can you reduce noise in factory or warehouse offices?
Yes. Noise reduction is not limited to open-plan offices. Screens, partitions and insulation between work areas, combined with acoustic panels for high ceilings, all help reduce the impact of machinery and warehouse noise on staff.

Looking for expert help with office noise reduction?

When practical steps aren’t enough, our workplace acoustics team can assess your space, test performance and recommend targeted solutions.

👉 Explore our Workplace Acoustic & Noise Reduction services

Call us on 08456 031 585 to chat with our interiors team and find out how we can help make your workplace a calmer, more productive place to be.

About the Author
This article was written by the interiors team at Source One Consulting. With more than 20 years’ experience delivering office fit-outs and refurbishments across the UK, we’ve helped businesses of every size tackle noise problems – from open-plan office blocks to factory-adjacent workspaces. As a family-run business, we pride ourselves on giving practical, honest advice and building workplaces that really work for people.

Read time: 7–8 minutes | Last updated: January 2026

A family business

Founded in 2002, Source One Consulting is a close-knit, family-run business rooted in East Anglia. Led by Lisa Lewis, the team brings together decades of experience in commercial interiors, office fit-out and refurbishment, with a reputation built on practical advice, honest communication and looking after clients properly.

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