At a time when we are coveting a sense of tranquility, MERINDA STUDIO offers interior decor aimed at bringing the outdoors in.

Launched by two Chicago women, Erin McCarthy and Mindy Turitz, MERINDA STUDIO (a combination of their first names) livens up one’s home with their nature-inspired decor.

From their washable wallpaper to digitally printed fabrics, each design is inspired by McCarthy’s nature photography, which stems from her Southern California upbringing. As a young girl, she was heavily influenced by the ocean, mountains, and desert topography.

“I definitely think that what I soaked up as a child comes out in my artwork now,” McCarthy explains. “I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors, and always had a great interest in nature.”

McCarthy previously worked as a fine arts photographer before the revelation that her photographs could be translated into surface designs. It became a natural progression to partner with Turitz who has a business degree, background in fashion and home decor, and previous experience in the retail industry.

“One of the main reasons we started this business is because we felt like we found a hole in the market,” McCarthy says. “We wanted to create an affordable designer product of really good quality.”

McCarthy’s nature photography sets MERINDA STUDIO apart from other fabric designers who typically use illustrations or paintings as the foundation for their textiles.

“I take a lot of nature walks, and I will find a leaf that I think is interesting or a branch or a flower, and I will bring it into my studio, photograph it, and then the rest is created digitally,” McCarthy explains.

Another compelling pillar of the company reflects the duo’s desire to create products suitable for daily family life, which often includes young children and pets. “We want to create things that can withstand messy hands and wet dog tails and yet still be stylish,” Turitz says.

The collection is designed and created domestically and responsibly produced with ecologically-safe inks versus chemical dyes. MERINDA STUDIO also prints orders on demand in an effort to reduce landfill waste and conserve water.

“We both have an affinity for nature, and are both eco-conscious, so we found like-minded printers, and chose local or U.S. based manufacturers in an effort to limit our carbon footprint,” Turitz explains.

In addition to their array of pre-designed choices, MERINDA STUDIO offers a Trade Program for designers, at no additional fee or delivery delay. The program includes a customization of current designs to meet a designer’s specifications, with options to do a color match or alter the scale to provide something original for their clients.

The Fall 2020 collection, which launched in August, features a kaleidoscope of florals layered with textured neutrals. The line ranges from matte wallpaper digitally printed in Chicago to linen-cotton blend fabric pillow covers, napkins, tea towels, and more. The anticipation is that the collection will be well received with seasonal colors such as corals, teals, gold, rust, and burnt orange.

“It is definitely inspired by my childhood in Southern California, and it has got a little bit of a ’70s, but maybe more of a patterned chinoiserie look to it,” McCarthy says. “We are taking a deep dive into what we think are going to be color trends for the fall.”

Just a year following the launch of their textile company, they have already received tremendous support and advice from other small business owners within the community. “It has been a really supportive environment,” Turitz says. “Maybe that’s a little bit of the Midwestern values of Chicago, and maybe that’s being two women and meeting other people in the industry but it has been so welcoming and very inspiring.”

For more information, visit merindastudio.com.