The Sound of My Designs

Some inspirations arrive in flashes of color or form. For me, they often arrive in waves of sound. Music has an extraordinary ability to move us not only emotionally, but visually. A single note can become a gemstone’s hue, a rhythm might translate into a repeating pattern, and a crescendo can rise into a sweeping arc of gold.

This dialogue between sound and sight has deep roots. From Newton’s experiments linking frequencies of light and sound, to Baudelaire’s poetic “correspondences,” to the visual experiments of Kandinsky and Scriabin, artists have long searched for ways to make music visible. At Meri Lou, I continue this tradition, listening to music not only with my ears but also with my eyes.

When I design, music becomes a guide. High pitches inspire light, sparkling details; low tones suggest bold, grounding forms. The steady beat turns into the pulse of a piece, while harmony reveals itself in how colors and materials balance together. Navy and emerald carry authority and depth, while bursts of fuchsia or amber strike with the brilliance of a cymbal crash.

In practice, this means that melodies often become motifs in my work. A rhythm might take shape as a sequence of diamonds, and a song’s climax can emerge as a sculptural sweep of gold. Each piece carries a hidden soundtrack, an echo of the inspiration that gave it life.
Sound, when translated into design, is never just background, it is the invisible partner in creativity. It shapes how we see, how we feel, and how we adorn ourselves with pieces that resonate like music.