An Inside Look at The Mezzo Collection with Michael DiTullo

By Carissa Mae Fernandez

Michael DiTullo, Head of Product Innovation at Carnegie Acoustic Solutions, gives us an inside look at the making of the Mezzo Collection. Curating a collection that pushes the boundaries of acoustic innovation is no small feat, but Michael and the team continue to deliver fresh, groundbreaking designs. In the first part of this two-part interview, we explore the creative process behind Mezzo from the designer’s perspective — plus some exciting industry insights.

Tell us about how your approach with the Mezzo Collection evolved from your learnings with the first Kirei and Xorel Artform launches. What were the goals of the new collection?

With each collection my goal is to inspire architects and interior designers, to show them what the possibilities are when you design with acoustics in mind from the beginning of the process. That puts more pressure on the team and I with each launch as we try to push farther and up our game. With Mezzo we tried to step back from the Xorel Artform and Kirei product portfolios and really go new places.

You're calling the inspiration for the collection, "Eclectic Modern." Tell us more about that style and how it translated into the new products. 

Minimalism has really dominated design for the past two decades. I love a clean white room with a couple of Scandinavian chairs in it as much as the next designer but when the entire world starts to look like this it begins to feel oppressive and generic. What I’m noticing with what we are calling Eclectic Modern is designers taking more risks, taking a warmer, more maximal approach to modernism, and not being scared to make it regionally specific. As a designer that is really exciting because it gives us more opportunities to assist interior designers and architects by creating bolder, more unique and iconic products for them to design for this trend.

This collection is a bit smaller than the last two Kirei and Xorel Artform launches. Can you tell us about what inspired that direction?

With the Hyper Sonic and Tuned collections we were just cracking open Pandora's box on what we could do with Xorel Artform and Kirei in unified launches. I think our enthusiasm and excitement naturally resulted in 2 pretty large wide ranging product lines. With Mezzo we focused much more on a tighter theme and a tighter collection that really harmonizes. 

From left to right: Kirei Plaza Clouds, Kirei Henge Panels, Xorel Artform Flute 3D Panels, Xorel Artform Cumulus 3D Clouds

XAF Flute 3D and Kirei Henge highlight dynamic linear textures. Can you walk us through the design process and how you balance acoustic performance with other features?

Both Kirei Henge and Xorel Artform Flute have a similarity in their gently bowed lines. Flute has a steady horizontal rhythm like the steady 4 on the floor beat of a house music track while Henge’s vertical lines have more of a staccato feel like the syncopated beat of a jazz drum solo. While they both have similarly arcing lines due to the different materials we had to develop very different manufacturing techniques. Flute takes the technique we pioneered with Drape to its maximalist conclusion while with Henge we actually patented a new way to form the panels to get the look we wanted. The process on these is very collaborative as we are usually starting with a rough idea in sketch form and then working with the team to develop it. Henge in particular really evolved as we developed the process.

The Xorel Artform Clouds are built with a Kirei PET topper. How does this choice support the product's acoustic and aesthetic qualities?

I’ve been working with the Kirei team on clouds for the past 6 years and we take a lot of pride in the level of finish of our clouds so they look just as good from above as below. This gives designers a lot more options when designing for stairwell or mezzanine installations. So I was excited to bring this same attention to detail to the Xorel Artform cloud collection. We assessed the sizes of the clouds focusing on sizes we know designers are looking for from our Kirei experience. I also wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to deepen some of the 3D elements to make the light play more dramatic. The biggest change of course is adding a beveled recycled PET part to the top. This finishes the top side of the cloud nicely while giving designers another color choice to play with. To finish it we used our super sleek and minimal Kirei cloud and baffle hardware for an ultra clean installation. As a halo product to the cloud range I designed the Cumulus Cloud which is super iconic and unique. An array of these really feels like a formation of clouds overhead.

Want to learn more? View the full Mezzo Collection and explore Part 2 here.

About the author

Carissa Mae Fernandez is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Carnegie Acoustic Solutions. Driven by authenticity, she crafts purposeful content through creative marketing strategies that engage and connect.