We adorn our walls to reflect who we are, set a mood, and bring visual harmony into a space. Traditional wall art—prints, tapestries, canvases, and soft furnishings—can offer emotional warmth and some acoustic softness. But when it comes to sound performance, these elements often fall short.
If your space has echo, background noise, or lacks sonic comfort, it's time to improve room acoustics with solutions designed not just to look good—but to sound better too
What Traditional Wall Art Can Do
From gallery walls to vintage textiles, traditional décor adds personality and texture. Pieces made from soft, plush, or layered materials can absorb a small amount of sound, especially in more intimate spaces. A woven tapestry will always do more acoustically than a framed photo—but performance is typically minimal.
What It Can’t Do
In spaces with tall ceilings, glass, concrete, or minimal furnishings, flat decorative surfaces can actually bounce sound around. That means traditional wall art might amplify echo instead of softening it.
If you’re noticing muddled speech during video calls, background noise in open spaces, or a sense of auditory harshness, it might be time to introduce materials designed with sound in mind.
Acoustic Art Panels: An Artful Alternative
Acoustic art panels combine visual form with functional sound control. At MIO, we’ve created two collections—Feltforms and Quiltforms—that elevate your walls while transforming how sound behaves in a space.
These panels absorb unwanted reverberation, clarify speech, and create a sense of calm. But they’re also modular, tactile, and beautiful—blending art, architecture, and acoustic science into one solution.
They don’t block noise between rooms (that’s soundproofing), but they significantly improve the quality of sound within a space.
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Where Acoustic Panels Work — and What They Help Solve
| Application Area | What It Solves |
| Bedrooms | Reduces ambient echo and brings warmth for a more serene, restful environment |
| Home Offices & Meeting Rooms | Improves speech clarity and reduces distractions during calls and focused work |
| Studios & Creative Spaces | Minimizes acoustic fatigue, enhances focus, and softens sound in productive zones |
| Media Rooms & Podcast Setups | Absorbs reverberation for clearer audio and professional sound quality |
| Open-Plan Living or Workspaces | Breaks up echo in high-ceilinged or glassy spaces; defines zones with texture |
| Walls Behind Desks, Beds, or Sofas | Adds visual and acoustic softness in targeted areas prone to bounce and reflection |
| Quiet Corners, Reading Nooks, or Phone Booths | Enhances acoustic comfort in compact or high-use areas |
Note: Our acoustic panels manage sound within a space, but are not designed for soundproofing between rooms. They’re ideal for tuning the soundscape where you live, work, and create.
The Style Side: Texture, Pattern, Color
Decorative sound panels do more than reduce noise. They act as surface sculptures—bringing architectural rhythm and emotional softness into a room. The recycled PET felt we use has a rich, mottled texture and a soft matte finish that shifts subtly with light.
You can create subtle tonal compositions or bold geometric statements. Either way, you’re designing with purpose.
Feltforms: Patterns That Perform
Our Feltforms collection includes three distinct patterns, each balancing acoustic absorption with visual impact.
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Quad: NRC 0.45 — combines absorption and diffusion. Ideal for speech-heavy spaces and background music environments. Provides moderate control of unwanted reverberation without deadening the room.
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Deco: NRC 0.40 — offers superior absorption in mid/high frequencies. Best for conversation-focused spaces, such as lounges, dining rooms, or collaborative areas.
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Twist: NRC 0.30 — delivers subtle absorption with visual softness. Works well in bedrooms, meditation zones, or anywhere you want gentle quiet.
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Edge: NRC 0.15 — thin and minimal, used to outline installations or create openness in the design.
Use Edge tiles to define the perimeter of your installation or add negative space to soften the acoustic treatment visually.
Quiltforms: Where Craft Meets Acoustics
Inspired by quilting and the fashion world, Quiltforms is our softest and most expressive acoustic product. Made from stitched recycled felt modules, these panels allow you to build flowing compositions that feel more like fiber art than sound treatment.
Available in eleven stock fabric colors, six stitch styles, and a range of modular shapes, quiltforms offers a richly tactile surface and nearly infinite creative possibilities. Each panel features precise stitching that adds pattern and rhythm without impacting acoustic performance.
Whether wall-mounted, suspended as curtains or screens, or layered into sculptural installations, quiltforms brings softness, clarity, and a crafted sensibility into play. All modules are made from recycled felt and assembled with care.
The Science Behind the Silence
Understanding a few acoustic principles can help guide your design:
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NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient): Measures how much sound a material absorbs (0 = none, 1.0 = total absorption). As a form of acoustic treatment, MIO panels score high across the board.
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Absorption vs Diffusion: Absorption turns sound into heat. Diffusion scatters it to reduce sharp reflections. feltforms uses both techniques; quiltforms focuses on absorption.
- Material Properties: Recycled PET felt is dense, porous, and highly effective—soft enough to absorb, durable enough for long-term performance.
Sound & Style Comparison
| Traditional Wall Art | Acoustic Art Panels | |
| Visual Impact | ✔ Personal and decorative | ✔ Sculptural and modular |
| Tactile Warmth | ✔ Some softness (textiles) | ✔ Felt texture, depth, and dimension |
| Acoustic Performance | ✘ Minimal absorption | ✔ High NRC absorption & diffusion |
| Scalability | ✘ Fixed formats and sizes | ✔ Modular and reconfigurable |
| Sustainability | ✘ Varies, often overlooked | ✔ Made from recycled PET felt |
Why Choose One When You Can Combine?
Traditional wall art brings storytelling and sentiment. Acoustic panels bring science and serenity. Together, they can build a space that’s expressive, focused, and acoustically tuned for how you live and work.
Whether you’re designing a home studio, calming a shared living space, or solving sound issues in an open office, our acoustic solutions let you do more—with both sound and style.
Explore the Collection or Talk to a Specialist
→ Browse feltforms & quiltforms
→ Request a custom acoustic consultation
