We rarely find ourselves staring at the ceiling with positive thoughts. In the dentist chair, or during a night of insomnia, the ceiling has a bland reputation when it comes to design. When architects do design the surface of the ceiling, it can be a welcome layer of interest in a space. Ceilings also function in a slew of practical ways, from hiding mechanical systems to providing a mounting surface for lighting. An important, yet under-appreciated function is sound absorption and reflection. If not for acoustical ceilings, a concert hall would be nothing more than an echo chamber of muddled sounds.

StarSilent.

Last week on 3rings, 9Wood exhibited the textural design potential of a wood sound absorbing ceiling with a very specific aesthetic. Alternatively, StarSilent makes a sound absorbing ceiling panel that looks like gypsum board or plaster with a seamless finish. It can be used for standard applications as well as on curved surfaces with a radius of four feet or greater.

Starsilent sound absorbing panels are made with 96% post consumer recycled crushed glass bottles and then coated with sound permeable plasters. The finished look is up to the designer’s creativity instead of the limitations of the material like many acoustic panels. Starsilent panels can be painted, and they are currently working on integrating color within the plaster itself. At almost no VOC off gassing and such a high level of recycled content, Starsilent is one of the most environmentally friendly seamless sound absorbing products on the market.