Struggling to keep a lid on noise in and from your kitchen? Check out these top design and specification tips to ensure your family can enjoy the quiet life

The kitchen is the heart of the home, asked to perform multiple functions. It’s where your day begins. Where you cook, eat, wash up, work, relax and connect with your loved ones – the social hub of the family. Unfortunately, kitchens are often filled with appliances that, if not carefully selected, can fill the room with excessive noise. So, how can you create a space that’s pleasant to use and free from unwanted distractions?

WHY IS MY KITCHEN NOISY?

Some of the main noise sources that can impact enjoyment of your kitchen and surrounding rooms include kettles reaching boiling point, spin cycles on washing machines and extractors that won’t let you hear yourself speak. Spending time specifying the best and quietest appliances can make all the difference when trying to hush your kitchen.

When thinking about sound, a useful benchmark is normal conversation, which is around 60 decibels A (dBA). Raised speech is around 65 dBA. A freestanding washing machine on a spin cycle can be as loud as 86 dBA, which is the equivalent of a gas-powered lawn mower running through your kitchen. So, when the washing machine’s on, many of us tend to leave the room and take the conversation elsewhere. But what if you don’t have to?