I did drywall finishing in the 70's & 80s'. The acoustic (popcorn) does work well at deading the sound reflections,(hence the name acoustic) but as stated above it is real dated. Plus it is a real pain to refinish and paint. As far as a more modern style I remember folks would put glitter in the mix to give it the old "Corner Bar" effect. Add a disco ball and you would be all set.
Popcorn Ceiling vs Smooth
I am in the process of remodeling/updating a home we just bought. My wife is having the popcorn ceiling removed in the whole house. In, what is to be my dedicated 2 channel listening room, I have the option to leave the popcorn ceiling or have it smoothed out. The room is 14x17 with 8.5 ft foot ceiling. Does anyone have experience or recommendations on which way to go? I have done a search and cannot find much on this topic. Thanks