It’s been a year since Erin McCarthy and Mindy Turitz introduced Merinda Studio to the Chicago design scene. In search of a new creative outlet, McCarthy, a portrait and fine art photographer, started dabbling in new mediums—experimenting with kaleidoscopic forms of her imagery, playing with scale and pattern, and entertaining the idea of printing on something other than paper. “I had this aha moment,” she says. How would her art look on fabric, as a textile or on wallcoverings? “I thought I could start a textile line, but I didn’t really know how to go about that.”
Enter Turitz. The Chanel and Crate & Barrel alum used her business acumen to build the brand’s foundation, while McCarthy, who met Turitz through mutual friends in Chicago and was her family photographer for a time, fashioned a library of product designs. Thus, Merinda Studio (a combination of the founders’ names) was born. “We started with fabric and wallpaper and wall art,” says Turitz. “Now, we’ve added home decor items like pillows, table linens and gifts.”
A Cloudy Day lumbar pillow sits alongside other Merinda Studio favorites.
This fall, Merinda Studio launches fresh designs and colorways—think season-appropriate jewel tones. “Gold, mustard, paprika,” McCarthy muses. “We are getting into the fall color trends, and we’re super excited about that.” Expect preppy-leaning geometrics, large-scale cherry blossoms and lush orchid prints, as well as gifting options, expanded home decor items and a new seasonal gift box—complete with a fine art print, tea towel and candle. And, in an effort to minimize waste and remain eco-conscious, all products are printed on-demand using nontoxic inks by local- and U.S.-based printing and manufacturing partners.