When the Glow Meets the Quiet

Lighting and Acoustics: The Ultimate Office Double Act

Why Light Alone Won’t Cut It Anymore

Last time, we had a good old chinwag about how ambient, task, and accent lighting can transform a bland office into something you’d actually want to work in — as we covered in Workspace Lighting Guide: From Task Lights to Ambient Glow — or at the very least, be seen on a Zoom call from. But here’s the thing: lighting’s only half the story. If your beautifully lit space still echoes like a sports hall every time someone sneezes, it’s not exactly giving “premium workspace.” That’s where acoustic design comes in — and when these two elements work together? Magic.

You see, when light and sound are designed hand-in-hand, they do more than just look and feel good — they create spaces where people can think, focus, and actually get work done. Picture this: soft pendant lights above a plush modular seating area, wrapped in high-backed acoustic panels that hush the hubbub. The lighting invites you in; the silence lets you stay. It’s like pairing a decent cuppa with a quiet corner — simple, but utterly effective.

In too many offices, though, it’s a tale of two halves. You’ll find stunning architectural lighting glowing above all the right zones, but not a whisper of sound control. Or you’ll get beautifully clad acoustic wall panels that disappear into the background because they’re lit like a broom cupboard. Truth is, good workspace design comes from layering — not just light on light, but acoustics on atmosphere, and function on form.

Take the Kozee booth range, for example. These aren’t just soundproof pods — they’re spaces that consider both acoustic performance and lighting quality. With integrated LED strips, controlled brightness, and sound-absorbing interiors, they’re designed for focus and clarity — the workplace equivalent of noise-cancelling headphones and a daylight lamp all rolled into one. It’s the kind of setup that makes open-plan feel intentional, not chaotic.

Even smaller touches — like a floor lamp next to an acoustic lounge chair, or suspended lighting above a zoned meeting nook — can do wonders. They signal a shift in purpose. “This is a quiet space,” they whisper (or rather, don’t whisper — because it’s that quiet). These zones become the antidote to overstimulation. And when your team can switch between high-energy collab zones and hush-hush hideaways, that’s when productivity gets cracking.

So if you’ve sorted the glow but are still battling the blare, it might be time to bring your acoustic game up to the same level. Because in the best workplaces, light and quiet aren’t afterthoughts — they’re part of the same performance. And trust us, when they hit the right note together, your office won’t just look better. It’ll feel better too.

Turning Down the Volume (Without Killing the Vibe)

Now, here’s the challenge most offices face: you want energy, collaboration, and the occasional birthday singalong — but without it sounding like a Friday night at Wetherspoons. That’s the balancing act of modern workspace design: creating spaces that buzz, but don’t blast. Enter acoustic zoning, the low-key hero of office layouts. It’s not just about shoving a few felt panels on the wall and calling it a day. It’s about designing zones where sound behaves — so your staff don’t lose their train of thought every time someone opens a packet of crisps.

One of the easiest wins? Pairing your acoustic furniture with the right lighting design. When done right, they complement each other like biscuits and tea. Let’s say you’ve got a quiet focus nook — a cocoon-like corner with soft upholstered walls and thick rugs underfoot. Now add a warm pendant light or floor lamp with low colour temperature, and boom: instant retreat zone. Not a beanbag in sight, and yet your team will be queueing up to use it.

Here are a few lighting-and-acoustics pairings that do the trick:

• High-back acoustic seating + dimmable floor lamp = the perfect spot for deep work
• Suspended acoustic panels + linear LED lighting = defined collaboration zones without the echo chamber
• Phone booths with LED strips = private calls without the disco spotlight effect
• Acoustic wall art + adjustable track lighting = sound absorption and something to admire

It’s all about subtle signals. Lighting sets the tone — “Come in, make yourself comfortable” — while acoustic design dials down the chaos. And the best bit? These solutions don’t just serve a function. They look brilliant. A beautifully curved acoustic screen lit from below becomes a feature in its own right. A sound-absorbing ceiling light turns into a talking point (ironically, by helping to reduce talking).

So while your office might not be auditioning for Grand Designs any time soon, a few clever combinations of workspace lighting and acoustic zoning can work wonders. It’s not about total silence — that’s what libraries are for — but about giving your team the right balance of buzz and calm. Less “ringing in your ears” and more “ringing up success.” Or at the very least, fewer noise complaints by 11am.

Product Spotlight: Where Quiet Meets the Glow-Up

If you're still trying to tackle workplace noise with the classic combo of wishful thinking and a passive-aggressive Slack message, it's time for an upgrade. At Quell Design, we believe that brilliant work doesn’t happen in chaos — and it certainly doesn’t happen under blinding ceiling panels with the acoustics of a squash court. That’s why our collection of acoustic office furniture and architectural lighting is built to work in tandem — dampening noise, lifting moods, and making your space look a whole lot less “budget fit-out, 2012.”

Take the Kozee Booth range, for starters. These are not your bog-standard pods with a flimsy curtain and flickering lightbulb. We’re talking about fully enclosed acoustic booths with integrated LED strips, controlled brightness, and interiors that absorb more sound than your office gossip. Whether it’s solo deep work or a quick catch-up between colleagues, Kozee creates the kind of private haven where focus comes easy — and fluorescent fatigue is a thing of the past.

Then there’s the lighting itself — thoughtfully placed floor lamps, pendant lights, and even wall-mounted fixtures that not only illuminate your space but also define it. Pair a sculptural Mouille Tripod Floor Lamp with a high-back acoustic lounge chair, and suddenly you’ve created a quiet corner that feels less “makeshift” and more “Mad Men meets mindfulness.” Soft glow, hushed acoustics, and just enough style to spark a cheeky bit of furniture envy.

The secret sauce? It’s all in the balance. Too many offices either look fantastic but sound like a call centre, or are as quiet as a library but lit like a storage unit. But when you start designing spaces with both lighting performance and acoustic comfort in mind — layering glow with hush, form with function — that’s when things really click. And with Quell’s curated pieces doing the heavy lifting, you don’t need a full refurb to make it happen. Just a bit of thought, a few smart swaps… and maybe a gentle nudge from this blog.

Harmony, Not Happenstance

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the modern office, it’s that no single element can carry the weight of a whole design. You can have all the designer lighting in the world, but if your team’s whispering over the sound of the aircon and keyboard clatter, it’s not exactly a recipe for peak performance. Likewise, you can hang every kind of acoustic panel imaginable, but if the space is lit like a hospital corridor, nobody’s sticking around after 3pm. It’s about designing with intention — where light and sound work together, not in competition.

The good news? You don’t need to tear the place down to get it right. Small, strategic changes — a Kozee Booth in the open-plan zone, a floor lamp in a quiet corner, some well-placed acoustic wall treatments under soft overheads — can completely shift how a space feels. Suddenly, your office isn’t just quieter or brighter. It’s calmer, more comfortable, and a lot more conducive to the kind of work people actually want to do.

So here’s your cue: ditch the “that’ll do” mentality and start thinking like a proper workspace designer. One that knows a space isn’t just about looking the part — it’s about feeling right, too. And when you get the balance of lighting and acoustics spot on? That’s when the magic happens. Or at the very least, that’s when Dave from accounts stops shouting across the room about printer paper.