With recent drops in prices and helpful guides everywhere, creating your own beautiful music studio is now far from the confines of fantasy. Achievable for nearly anyone with drive and passion for music, here we want to touch on some fantastic examples of music studios, and how you can do to accomplish similar designs. Of course, flexibility is also key, but for ideas on where to start, look no further.
Before We Begin
Before looking into specific examples of design, it’s important to note that there are some parts of this process that cannot be overlooked or skimped on. Missing one of these concepts can easily ruin an entire experience, so take note.
Selecting a Room
Unless you plan on massive remodeling, it can be best to first ensure that you select a room for a studio that offers the most suitable acoustics. Some degree of modification will always be necessary to enhance natural sounds, but a better starting point ensures a faster result and lower overall costs.
Choosing a Contractor
When choosing a contractor, it can be tempting to go with the first or cheapest options you find. This is universally a bad idea, as contractors should be thoroughly vetted to ensure they can deliver. Reviews are a great way to get started in this regard, simply to check their reputation.
Another important thing to check is they have the right insurance. It’s not difficult to find insurance for carpenters, for example, so any contractors lacking insurance should be considered suspect. In this regard, elements like liability insurance provide coverage for both you and the contractor should something unexpected occur. If the worst does come to term, insurance ensures both parties can come to a rapid and amicable agreement. Now, onto the examples.
The Minimalist Solution
If you’re just starting or don’t have a lot of room to work with, then the best solution could be a minimalist one. At the very least, this could give you an idea of where to go next, and which elements you favor over the rest of the experience. For an example of this, check out this apartment music studio by Josh and Katie.
As you can see the focus here is working within the current space to maximize potential. This means modifying the existing style rather than creating a new one, which can give you a solid starting direction. Cheap, easy, and effective even if you don’t own a space.
Going Flashy
For artists who want to capture a mood, you’re going to be facing a slightly different set of challenges. Luckily, these challenges can also present opportunities. Check out this project by Kay’Vion.
In this example, Kay’Vion tended towards a stylistic approach, adopting mirrors and LED lighting heavily in his work. While not strictly necessary, additions such as these can influence a state of mind when recording, which can be great if you’re leaning into a specific theme or genre.
Going All Out
Making a jump for the highest tier or recording setups means a lot of planning and careful consideration. In this case, Andrew Masters offers a great illustration in how his home studio operates. Working with dark colors and audio clarity as a base, Andrew devised an entire room full of everything he needs. This sort of design is not for everyone, but it definitely reflects a professional attitude.
Inspiration and Innovation
Despite the commonalities which are shared in the design of audio setups, the actual appearance is something that varies wildly. Knowing this, you need to internalize that as long as the bases like sound dampening are covered, there aren’t any truly wrong answers. What you consider beautiful is the best setup for you. Find what inspires you, build around that, and your music will be better for it.
