When Alberto Sánchez and Eduardo Villalón of Mut Design visited a science museum, they weren’t too keen on the insects displayed in an entomology exhibit. But upon closer inspection of a few beetles on view, they struck upon a bit of design inspiration.
Back in their Valencia, Spain, studio Sánchez and Villalón began prototyping ideas for sound-absorbing panels that borrowed inspiration from the beetles’ shape and structure. They began by looking at the different geometric shapes that compose a beetle shell, then cut material to mimic the forms and layered them together. Eventually, they landed on six shapes that can be mixed and matched.
The finished product features an oak “spine” that upholstered foam panels are clipped to. Users can pick the fabric that covers the foam panels and choose how the shapes are configured. The customizability of the piece helps to personalize the product and riffs on the idea that no two beetles are 100% identical.
“The panel itself stands as a decorative piece that you integrate into your home or office as a functional room decoration,” Villalón says. “By the many different combinations you can create your own functional piece of ‘art.'”