Surveys have shown that workers’ primary complaint with open or cubicle-filled offices is the unwanted noise. However, recent research suggests it’s not the noise itself that’s the problem. Two recent studies have found that the right level of ambient noise triggers our minds to think more creatively. And one of those studies found no difference between people working in a very noisy environment (the equivalent of a motorcycle engine revving) and people working in total silence. Taken together, the lesson here is that the ideal space for focused work is not about freedom from noise, but about freedom from interruption. Finding a space you can hide away in, regardless of how noisy it is, may be the best strategy for making sure you get the important work done.