Talk Shop: Erin McCarthy and Mindy Turitz // Merinda STudio
About Erin & Mindy
After curating careers that inched them toward the interior design field, friends Erin McCarthy and Mindy Turitz decided to take the leap in 2019 and start their own business: Merinda Studio. Erin has specialized in everything from portraits to interiors but it was her love of fine art and interior design that inspired the company. After several decades of building other brands, Mindy decided it was time to build her own. As if the business gods had heard her, Mindy received an email from Erin that started with, "I have an idea can we meet for coffee?”
MERINDA (a combination of their first names - Melinda and Erin) creates artisanal textiles, wallcoverings, and home decor. Combining Erin’s roots in photography and Erin’s business background, the team established a brand that leverages both of their interests and capitalizes on their strengths. Enjoy this lovely interview with the founders, Mindy and Erin!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Inventive, playful, and eclectic.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
Nature, travel, and our families - our designs are based on Erin’s photography of nature or places we have visited that inspire us. Our families influence what we make and how we make it.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
Erin had been a professional photographer for several years specializing in portraits, but always wanted to work in interior design and had a special passion for textiles. She began scratching her creative itch by moving away from portraits and into landscape and nature photography. At some point, she got interested in making digital kaleidoscopes out of her photographs and had a bit of an “aha” moment when she realized that with a little digital manipulation, she could turn those motifs into surface patterns. She began experimenting with test prints of her patterns on fabric and wallpaper and decided she wanted to turn the patterns into a business. Having no background in business, she turned to her good friend, Mindy Turitz.
Min had a career working in marketing and business strategy for fashion and interior brands like Chanel, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Crate & Barrel. Having moved from New York to Chicago and finally to the suburbs to raise her family, she was looking for something design related where she could really build a new brand. Her one constant rule: you have to love the designs. Enter Erin and her email that started with, “I have this idea. Can we meet for coffee?”
Our favorite thing about what we do is working together and capitalizing on each other’s strengths to build our business day by day.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory?
Neither of us really has a mentor. Erin has lots of role models and other artists she admires and Min leans on a lot of her friends in the business for advice. But, we’re charting new territory with our approach to the business - from searching out small producers and sustainable practices to making customization accessible to clients. We are learning as we go and are dedicated to perfecting our craft and designs.
What does your home say about you:
Erin: My home (I hope) suggests that I value a clean and somewhat minimal aesthetic with pops of color, pattern, and character. My home also reveals that I have two busy teens, a husband, and a one-year-old labrador pup who fills it with love, laughter, and the occasional mess that goes along with that.
Mindy: I’m a little bit more of a maximalist in terms of my aesthetic. I love plaid, mismatched china, colorful art, and travel mementos, and I have too many plants, books, and pillows. There’s usually something that doesn’t match in the room and I’m ok with that. There’s also usually a mess or stain on something that nobody in my family fesses up to and I’m not ok with that.
Where do you find inspiration:
All of our initial designs were inspired by nature - a lot of flora, fauna, and water. Erin grew up in California, so there is a coastal influence in a lot of the designs. Min grew up in Kansas and loves gardening, so we have a lot of plants and flowers. Now that we’re all able to travel freely again, travel has been a recent influence. Our last collection, Wanderlust, is inspired by the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. From the beach towns to the canyons and azure water.
Who are your style icons:
Andrew Howard, Kelly Wearstler, Ashley Whittaker, Young Huh
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Definitely a good playlist. Erin includes supplies for a killer charcuterie board and ingredients for a perfect dirty martini. Min adds a help-yourself bar and funny friends.
Do you collect anything:
Erin: For a while, I was collecting vintage hollycraft jewelry but I stopped collecting things when I was living in tight quarters in the city and haven’t gotten back into it even though I have more space now. I suppose I collect my children’s art and memories at the moment.
Mindy: Well, if I don’t fess up and say German nutcrackers, I’ll be on the naughty list forever. My parents used to give me a Nutcracker every year for Christmas. Recently, I’ve started collecting those Japanese Kokeshi wooden dolls. Mostly of pop figures but my husband had an artist on Etsy paint my kids on a set, which I love. Realizing now that I sound like a weird wooden doll fanatic…
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@klinteriors, @michelle_adams, @aspoonfulofbenjamin, @alexkaehlerdesign
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
Generally, we follow rules regarding color. Having a color palette in the home and making sure that you carry colors from room to room for a cohesive look. The rule Erin likes to break relates to art placement. She loves hanging art in really unexpected spots and not in a symmetrical way. Min can never decide on one hero pattern for a room, so she just layers them on.
What are you working on right now:
We just completed an art collection with ARCH, a beautiful home decor, antique and garden shop in Winnetka, IL. The series is titled Vernal Equinox and is a set of floral kaleidoscope fine art photographs on an unexpected charcoal background. Our next project is a beautiful textile and wallpaper collaboration with one of our favorite designers, Alexandra Kaehler. We hope to launch that one later this summer.
Wardrobe staples:
Jeans. Flats and cashmere for Erin. Tennies and stripes for Min.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
Erin: I’ve been a fan of Feather Bloom's sisal wallpaper by Celerie Kemble for Schumacher for a long time. For fabric, I really love our Cherry Blossom Mandala design and have it in several colorways in my home.
Mindy: I’ll always love Schumacher’s Queen of Spain fabric. One of my favorite sisal wallpapers is our Water Stripe. It’s kind of an ombre stripe (which actually is waves on water) and it looks amazing everywhere.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Erin: I forget who said it but - Never be the oldest thing in your home. I love adding something vintage to all of my spaces.
Mindy: Fashion passes, style remains - Coco Chanel. This holds true for trends in clothes and homes. Great style never looks dated.
Best career advice you ever received:
Erin: Life is too short to not follow your dreams and explore your gifts.
Mindy: My business school professor said, “You should be fired or laid off at least twice in your life. Otherwise, you’re not taking enough risks.”
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
Erin: I typically invest in fine art but save on upholstery (within reason). I’m a retail gal all the way with two kids and a dog.
Mindy: I’m kind of the opposite. I’ll invest in leather or performance upholstery in hopes that it lasts. I love finding up-and-coming artists or trolling vintage shops for art at a steal. I also happen to know a REALLY good artist who makes things for me.
Your greatest extravagance:
Erin: Dining out frequently and the occasional splurge on concert tickets.
Mindy: Trips with my husband sans kids and live music on a weeknight.
Favorite places to shop for home:
Heritage Trail Mercantile (Northfield, IL), Vintage Refined (Chicago, IL), Arch (Winnetka, IL), Crate & Barrel
Most prized possession and why:
Erin: A still-life painting by my grandfather hangs in my kitchen. He was one of my first creative influences.
Mindy: My mahjong set! I’m obsessed. My husband picked it out and gave it to me for my birthday - it’s metallic plaid and I love it!
Your interiors motto:
Erin: Everything looks better when clutter is kept to a minimum.
Mindy: Mix your materials, styles and add a bit of plant life to make it look lived in.
Your life motto:
Erin: Work hard, do your best and then celebrate your achievements.
Mindy: “Take the road less traveled.” -Robert Frost
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Erin: Buy what you love and experiment. It takes time to develop a personal style.
Mindy: Don’t be afraid of change - your style evolves. Invest in what you love and don’t worry about the rest.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food:
Erin: Neapolitan pizza
Mindy: Steak frites
Drink:
Erin: Dirty martini
Mindy: Red wine
Film or TV:
Erin: Sliding Doors
Mindy: Anything Masterpiece Classic
Hotel:
Erin: Four Seasons, Nevis
Mindy: Nayara Tented Camp, Costa Rica
City:
Erin: Santa Fe, NM
Mindy: Paris
Bedding:
Erin: Annie Selke
Mindy: I can’t quit my old Serena & Lily
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it):
Erin: Coffee, black
Mindy: Coffee, sweet cream
Playlist:
Erin: Taylor Swift Midnights (after surprising my teens with tickets to the Eras tour in Vegas - it was amazing!)
Mindy: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Caamp, WetLeg, Harry Styles, Vampire Weekend
Weekend Activity:
Erin: Long walks with my husband and dog, running my kids EVERYWHERE, and the occasional nap.
Mindy: Puttering in the garden, seeing friends, driving kids, baking.
Design Book:
Erin: The Well Loved House by Ashley Whittaker
Mindy: S is for Style: The Schumacher Book of Decoration