Inside Turf’s Colorful Design Hub At The Mart

Turf, the Chicago-based acoustic specialist, just launched a new home in the Merchandise Mart that flaunts its broad range of aesthetics, applications, and capabilities. Masterminded by CannonDesign principal and senior design leader Elizabeth Von Lehe, the hub encompasses office and prototyping spaces—the latter with CNC machine—plus a 4,000-square-foot showroom. After navigating a hallway lined with acoustic panels and dramatic concealed lighting, guests choose whether to proceed down a vibrant, poppy-colored pathway or the darker, moodier lane, both lined with supporting vignettes; “kiss points” along the routes offer glimpses into the road not taken, reinforcing the brand’s versatility. Throughout, designers can experience Turf’s Hues palette, patented Gridlock and Feltlock, and biophilia-inspired Wood Textures, all in recycled PET felt. “The vision for the new space was to capture the full spectrum of moods the materials inspire,” Von Lehe notes.