Nest Baffle Collection for FilzFelt

Products

Nov 14

I am thrilled to share the launch of the Nest Baffle collection, designed for FilzFelt. Nest turns the sound down from overhead in playfully rounded panels that can be installed in endless orientations to fit any space.

For the Nest Baffle collection, I worked to reimagine an array of patterns from my sketches and prints in an acoustic system to create custom designs across the ceiling. With just a few components, Nest Baffles can be combined to create endless orientations and repeat patterns that animate the ceiling in bold, expressive designs similar to my own watercolor prints.

View the collection page here.

You can also read more about the design process below or get the full scope of the process in this special Behind the Design interview with FilzFelt.

Behind the Design with Kelly Harris Smith

Can you share the inspiration behind Nest Baffle?

Nest Baffle is a celebration of modularity and simplicity. I aimed to design a system that is not only visually striking but also versatile. By utilizing repeated shapes and incorporating shifts in color and height, this acoustic baffle system can be installed in a way that feels both intentional and organic. The ability to group and nest them allows for creative installation around challenging ceiling moments or structural obstacles, making them adaptable to various spaces.

Can you walk us through the evolution of this collection? What was the design and prototyping process like, especially given the scale of the product? Were there versions that didn’t quite hit the mark?

In every project, my focus centers on functionality and the end user. The brief for Nest was refreshingly broad, pushing me to explore new possibilities beyond FilzFelt’s offerings. With FilzFelt’s newer manufacturing capabilities, we could experiment with new forms.

As a fun proof of concept for the Nest baffles, I rolled up my sleeves and created a series of quick (and crude/imperfect) block prints using three shapes: quarter round, half round, and straight. This hands-on exercise not only sparked my creativity but also revealed the vast possibilities this modular acoustic baffle system can offer.