Xorel Artform Acoustics Panels by Carnegie Fabrics
Acoustic panels may serve a highly practical function, but that doesn’t mean they have to be ugly. Used to reduce noise and control sound in various spaces, they’re often little more than squares or rectangles of drab sound-absorbing foam and fabric. New options from textile company Carnegie Fabrics switch things up with fun shapes and upholstery, transforming the panels into fun visual accents for the home.
Xorel Artform is Carnegie’s series of acoustical tiling, combining their high-performance interior textile Xorel with effective sound absorption and echo reduction. Available in a variety of thicknesses for different applications, they also come in an awesome variety of shapes, colors, and patterns, giving you the freedom to design your own custom installation.
The result? Way cooler than a blank wall or ceiling could ever be, even beyond the fact that the panels are so good at muffling distracting noises. While they’re most often found in offices and commercial spaces, it’s not hard to imagine these acoustic installations coming in handy at home, too, particularly if you live in an apartment building.
Panel shapes include circles, hexagons, diamonds, and more, and you can take your pick of over 350 different surface material configurations. Carnegie recently expanded Xorel Artform to include new shapes “flip” and “ripple,” too. The former features double-sided fabric choices, perfect for ceiling baffles that double as colorful sculptures, while the latter is an undulating form that’s sort of like a rectangle with a wavy edge on one side.
Xorel, Carnegie’s high-performance textile, is lauded by the company as “the most thoroughly tested textile material in the world,” with more than 65 independent tests vetting its performance and characteristics like durability, acoustic absorption, and bacterial resistance. It’s also sustainable, earning C2C (Cradle to Cradle) Gold certification.
The company website reads: “Fast and easy to install with little disruption or major cleanup, Xorel Artform is the optimal solution to address post-occupancy acoustical issues. Vertically suspended ceiling baffles not only open up design possibilities but also allow for sound absorption on both sides for increased sound clarity. Xorel Artform baffles are manufactured with ready-to-fasten hardware for ceiling suspension. Installation materials, including cables and pendants, for vertically suspended baffles are included in each box set.”
“Available in 16 shapes, a variety of sizes, three dimensional options, and over 350 Xorel colors, patterns, and textures, a multitude of wall designs can be created bringing artfulness and performance to any interior. Box sets include panels that are the same shape, size, substrate, fabric, and color. Installation materials and printed installation guides are also included.”
Need some inspiration? If you’re hoping to experiment with your own creative instincts, browse the #xorelartform hashtag on Instagram to see what other folks are doing with these panels. If you’d rather leave the arrangement to a design professional, Xorel Artform offers instant kits in all sorts of fun patterns for small, medium, and large spaces, so all you have to do is click “buy” and then stick them on when they arrive using a template. You can also browse their gallery by shape for additional ideas.
