The ceiling is often the largest untreated surface in cafés. With a ceiling around 11 ft, clouds hung 6–12 in below the ceiling or fabric ceiling tiles in the grid are the usual choice. Baffles need more height to hang without crowding the room.
Options
| Product | Best when | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling clouds | Ceiling is flat and 8–14 ft high | Hang 6–12 in below the ceiling; air gap behind boosts low-frequency absorption. |
| Vertical baffles | Exposed structure or ceilings above 12 ft | Absorb on both faces; spacing of 2–4 ft between rows is typical. |
| Lay-in ceiling tiles | Existing 2 × 2 or 2 × 4 T-bar grid | Swap standard tiles for fabric tiles, no new hardware. |
How much to cover
Clouds or baffles covering about 20–40% of the ceiling area are a reasonable starting range for cafés. For a 35 × 22 ft room that is 154 to 308 ft² of product.
Read more in ceiling clouds under flat ceilings and baffles under open structure.
Coordinate with sprinklers, lights and HVAC before you hang anything, and check local code for suspended products.