Collection: Acoustic Wall Panels

Sound waves bouncing off a hard wall create echo and amplify ambient noise. Acoustic wall panels break that cycle. The wood slats let some of the sound pass through into the felt behind them. The felt absorbs it. What's left of the sound that does bounce back is softer. The slat profile means the wall presents a more textured surface to incoming sound, scattering it rather than reflecting it as one clean wave. The result is measured in how much less the room rings.

Acoustic panels absorb sound within a room. They quieten conversation, soften echo, and clean up the way music sits in a space. For full sound isolation between rooms, the panels become part of a more serious build-up. Fit them onto a batten frame with rockwool insulation in the cavity behind, and you combine acoustic absorption at the panel face with sound insulation in the wall itself. That's the spec used in home cinemas, podcast booths, and high-end studios. The panel does the listening. The build-up does the blocking.

Anywhere a room is too live. Home cinemas where dialogue blurs into echo. Open-plan kitchens with hard floors and stone counters. Dining rooms where conversation has to fight the table. Home offices on Zoom calls. Restaurants and cafés where the noise floor is so high guests can't hear each other. Hallways with tile floors. Recording booths and podcast studios. Snugs. Listening rooms. Anywhere a wall could be doing more than holding paint.

On a feature wall, a real one. Conversation softens. Echo drops. Music sits cleaner. The sound absorption coefficient (NRC) of slat panels with a felt backing is independently tested. Each range publishes its rating on the product page. For maximum effect, fit them onto a batten frame with rockwool insulation behind. That stack combines absorption at the panel face with sound insulation in the cavity, the same approach used in home cinemas and recording studios. More panelled surface area compounds the result. A single feature wall is the entry point. Multiple walls, or a panelled ceiling, take it further.

Acupanel® is the core range. Real oak, walnut, smoked oak, and birch slats over recycled acoustic felt. Acupanel® Luxe is the premium grade with wider, denser slats. Acupanel® Colour is felt-wrapped or painted slats for spaces where colour leads the design. Acupanel® Glow integrates LED lighting into the slat run. Acupanel® Fire-Rated meets commercial fire specifications for offices, restaurants, and public buildings. Acupanel® Square and Hexagon are mini decorative formats. Each range carries its own technical sheet.

Acupanel® mounts with construction adhesive to a clean, dry, dust-free wall. Screws through the felt at the top and bottom of each panel anchor them permanently. Battens are an option where the wall surface is uneven, or where you need to run wiring behind the panel for LED, speaker cable, or low-voltage routing. For maximum acoustic and insulation performance, batten the wall and fit rockwool in the cavity before the panels go on. Cuts are made with a fine-tooth saw. Each panel has its own install guide and downloadable spec drawing on the site.

Yes. We send physical samples for every range. Acoustic panels in particular reward holding a piece in the room you'll fit it in: the way the slats catch a 7am light, the way the felt absorbs a tap of your finger against the wall, the way the timber tone shifts under different bulbs. Samples arrive in a few days. Order the finishes you're between, hold them up on the wall, let the room tell you which one stays.

Wood and acoustic felt, properly fitted in a normal interior, are meant to live with the wall. Real timber takes on a patina over time, deepening in tone, settling into the room around it. The recycled felt backing is built to outlast multiple redecorations. Treat acoustic panelling as part of the architecture, not a finish you'll need to refresh.

50+ years in surface materials. Laurence Freed's career in veneer began in the 1970s, and the company he founded in 2000 grew into WVH®. He sourced the species most suppliers couldn't get hold of and learned the differences by hand. Half a century later, we still choose what goes on the walls. Acupanel® has been on UK walls for years, in homes, offices, restaurants, and recording studios. The Drew & Jonathan Home® collaboration runs through our acoustic line. We supply architects, interior designers, contractors, and homeowners across the country. Rated 4.4 from 5,000+ reviews on Trustpilot.

Our slat ranges, Acupanel® Contemporary, Wrapped, Colour, Metal and Fire-Rated, measure a Noise Reduction Coefficient of 0.75 when mounted on 45mm battens, from independent laboratory measurement to EN ISO 354. Absorption is not soundproofing: panels soften echo and reverberation inside a room rather than blocking sound between rooms. For the strongest result, mount on 45mm battens with mineral wool in the cavity behind the panels.

The Luxe wide-slat range is built on an acoustic felt core independently measured at NRC 0.80 to the same standard.

Multiply your wall's width by its height, add 10% for cutting, and divide by the panel's coverage: most slat panels cover 1.44 m², and every product page states its own figure and does the sums for you. Our wall panelling calculator works across the whole range, with sizes and coverage read from the exact panel you choose.

Yes. The slat ranges suit walls and ceilings, fitted vertically or horizontally, and the Fire-Rated range's classification covers both. Ceiling fittings should be screwed into joists or battens rather than relying on adhesive alone.

Contemporary, Luxe and Fire-Rated carry real wood veneer faces. The exceptions are named plainly: Colour is linoleum, Metal is brushed metallic foil, Acupanel® Hydro is wood-effect, and Stone pairs real stone veneer with laminate marble. Order a sample and the difference sits in your hand.

Mounting matters more than finish. Any slat range on 45mm battens reaches the measured NRC 0.75, and adding mineral wool between the battens gives the strongest result the system offers. Choose the build-up first and the finish second. The wide-slat Luxe range is built on an acoustic felt core measured at NRC 0.80 to the same standard.

Yes, as a dedicated range. Acupanel® Fire-Rated is certified B-s1, d0 to EN 13501-1:2018, tested by a notified body, with real wood veneer faces for walls and ceilings. The certification belongs to this range alone: no other range in this collection carries a fire rating. If your project needs one, specify Fire-Rated from the start.

Compare on the numbers. Ask any panel maker for three things: a measured absorption figure with its test standard (ours is NRC 0.75 to EN ISO 354, batten mounted), a fire classification with a notified-body report (our Fire-Rated range, and that range alone, is certified B-s1, d0 to EN 13501-1:2018), and the material under the veneer, stated plainly. Then order a sample and let your hands decide.

Yes. Samples are available across most product ranges so you can see and feel the real material before committing. Acoustic panel, wood veneer, and cork tile samples can all be ordered. Order as many as you need, and when you place your panel order we refund the cost of your samples. Check individual product pages for availability.

Our warehouse and display area in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire is open for visits by appointment. Contact us to arrange a time so we can have the right products and samples ready for you to see in person.

Yes. We offer trade pricing for interior designers, architects, contractors, and trade professionals. Apply for a WVH® Pro trade account through our website or contact our trade team directly for project pricing and volume discounts.

We photograph every product as accurately as possible. Because we use real wood and natural materials, subtle variations in grain pattern and tone occur between production batches. This is a characteristic of genuine wood, not a defect. We always recommend ordering a sample to confirm the colour and texture in your own lighting.

You can return unused products within 30 days of delivery. Items must be in their original, undamaged packaging. Refunds are processed once we receive and inspect the return. For full terms including sample returns, visit our returns page or contact our customer service team.

We offer free delivery to mainland UK on most orders. Delivery is typically 2 to 3 days from dispatch, and each product page shows its own dispatch time above the add to cart button. Delivery to Scottish Highlands, Northern Ireland, and offshore islands incurs a surcharge calculated at checkout. You are also welcome to collect from our warehouse in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.