Best Acoustic Panel Options for Modern Office Design (UK Guide)

Acoustic panels don’t have to look like grey slabs stuck on the wall. With the right design, they can become a feature of your office – adding colour, texture and interest while quietly improving the acoustics. In this guide we’ll look at the best acoustic panel options for modern UK offices, and how to choose solutions that work with your design rather than against it.

What Makes an Acoustic Panel “Good” for Offices?

For commercial spaces, a good acoustic panel needs to tick several boxes:

• Performance
  It should absorb sound effectively, with a high Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC), so you get a noticeable improvement in echo and clarity.
• Fire safety
  Panels must meet appropriate UK fire regulations for their intended use in offices and other commercial environments.
• Durability
  The panel surface should be robust enough to cope with everyday wear and tear.
• Aesthetics
  Size, shape and colour options should allow you to integrate panels into your design scheme.

At Advanced Acoustics, we design our office acoustic panels with all of these factors in mind – and because we manufacture in the UK, we can tailor many aspects to your project.

Acoustic Wall Panels as Design Features 

Wall-mounted acoustic panels are the most common solution for offices, and they offer a lot of design flexibility. You can:

• Use brand colours
  Choose fabrics that match or complement your brand palette for a subtle or bold effect.
• Create feature walls
  Arrange panels in a grid, staggered pattern or more creative layout to turn a plain wall into a visual focal point.
• Mix sizes and orientations
  Combine different panel sizes and rotate them to create movement and interest.

In meeting rooms and boardrooms, wall panels can frame screens, whiteboards or artwork. In corridors and reception areas, they can add warmth and texture to otherwise hard, echoey spaces.

Acoustic Ceiling Panels and Baffles in Modern Offices 

If your office has an exposed ceiling or limited wall space, ceiling panels and baffles are a smart option. They’re particularly effective in:

• Open-plan offices and co-working spaces
• Reception areas with high ceilings
• Cafés, breakout spaces and atriums

Ceiling panels can be:

• Suspended horizontally as rafts
• Hung vertically as baffles
• Fixed directly to the ceiling where height is limited

These solutions allow you to treat large volumes of space without using up wall area. They can also become a striking design feature in their own right.

Matching Acoustic Panels to Your Office Style

The right acoustic solution will depend on the look and feel you’re aiming for:

• Corporate and formal offices
  Neutral tones such as greys, blues and charcoals
  Clean, simple panel layouts
  Discreet integration into existing décor
• Creative and tech environments
  Bold colours and contrasting panels
  Playful patterns or “pixelated” feature walls
  Panels used to zone different areas
• Client-facing spaces
  Panels that complement furniture and finishes
  Branded colours used sparingly for impact 
  Consideration of how the space looks on video calls and in photos

Because we can produce panels in a wide range of sizes and finishes, we can work with you or your designer to match the aesthetic you’re aiming for.

Working with Advanced Acoustics on Office Design

When you work with Advanced Acoustics on an office project, you’re not just picking products from a catalogue. We’ll help you:

• Choose the right type of panels for each space
• Decide on sizes, layouts and colours
• Balance performance, budget and design
• Ensure products meet relevant UK fire regulations

Whether you’re refreshing a single meeting room or fitting out an entire floor, we can support you from initial concept through to final installation.

The next step? Take a look at our range of Office Acoustic Panels, then get in touch with your office plans or photos. We’ll help you choose acoustic panels that sound good and look the part.