Story at a glance:
- The new Mirage acoustic tiles are a modular addition to the sensory-rich Mirage portfolio.
- Mirage etched tiles come with pre-applied adhesive backing and are a first-of-its-kind for Autex Acoustics.
- The new tiles open the door for future acoustic innovations from the 58-year-old design company.
The deep, lush green of the forest in summer, gulls calling near the sea, the smell after a much-needed rain—to be in nature is to ignite your senses, to explore all that’s around you.
And for the New Zealand-born Autex Acoustics, this idea—nature as a sensory experience—is the driving ethos behind everything the design company does. Its latest product, Mirage acoustic tiles, explores what Mother Nature has in spades: texture.
“Mirage was one of those briefs where something really simple becomes really complex when you start to pick it apart,” says Sam Wells, product development lead at Autex. “We spent a lot longer than I expected exploring what texture was. As you go smaller and smaller down into texture, we spent a lot of time distinguishing it from form and pattern. Texture is more about how that thing might be felt, and, in design, how that thing can be more subtle to spaces.”
The team’s thoughtful inquiry led to a line of modular etched tiles that emphasize depth and a sense of movement across its six natural-textured designs. The tiles also come with pre-applied adhesive backing—a first-of-its-kind for Autex.
Mirage acoustic tiles seen in Cavalier. Photo by Geoff Hedley, courtesy of Autex Acoustics
The design company has been at the helm of non-architectural textiles and modern acoustic products since its start in 1967. The new Mirage tiles build on that legacy, setting the foundation for new modular acoustic products and designs.
“The tiles are much more plug-and-play rather than using a qualified installer to get it done,” Wells says. Their modularity inherently lends itself to greater design freedom, creativity, and flexibility—expanding the quality of both how a space sounds and how it looks.
“Whether we’re still in minimalism or coming out of it now, we’re definitely noticing that the general response to minimalism seems to be a warming up in spaces,” Wells says. “You see a lot more beiges and the warm and neutral tones that come through, and with that a lot more exploration of natural textures again. Timber grains are really coming back.”
The micro-patterns of each etched Mirage tile stir a feeling when you walk into a room, similar to walking outdoors. It’s a subtle nuance, but one that is intentional.
Mirage is seen here in Canyon. Photo by Geoff Hedley, courtesy of Autex Acoustics
“The subtly plays into Autex’s broader ethos with product development and design. Caring for people is at our core. It’s embedded in a lot of our manufacturing and material development practices just as much as the product outputs we make. Quite often that means things have a much more subtle application when they come out,” Wells says.
What they’re looking for is that smart, sophisticated, subtle application that they can apply how they want to into their spaces.
“It’s quite easy to be loud and get attention, but to get the attention of architects and designers—what they’re looking for is that smart, sophisticated, subtle application that they can apply how they want to into their spaces,” he adds. “Mirage helps us do that. When light is casting through a room, that’s when it really comes to life, because those differences in texture then really start to pop.”
The modularity of the tiles was also a direct request from the field—particularly designers and Autex’s team in America. Wells and the product team in New Zealand went straight to work, starting from scratch through a quick iterative process of gathering feedback, validation, and testing. Repeating over and over again.
“It was a really awesome team process,” he says. “The best thing I find about design is that it’s a process; it’s zero to one. You make something out of nothing each time, and you’re always surprised with what comes out because it wasn’t there before. Even though we knew we wanted a well-curated, sophisticated range, it’s awesome to see what it has turned out to be. The tiles look even better in-person than I thought.”
Photo by Rich Clarke, courtesy of Autex Acoustics
Mirage wall tales exemplify nature as a sensory experience. Photo by Rich Clarke, courtesy of Autex Acoustics
