What are acoustic felt wall panels and how do they work?

 

Silence is something you don't see, but you do feel. A pleasant room doesn't sound hollow, isn't tiring on your ears, and feels naturally calmer.

Yet, many people struggle with disturbing reverberation or echo at home or in the office. This is because hard surfaces — walls, floors, windows — reflect sound instead of absorbing it.

 

The solution? Acoustic felt wall panels.

They are stylish, sustainable, and improve acoustics immediately after installation.

At Maeven Art, we take this concept further: we use Dutch PET felt, develop exclusive designs, and make all our panels self-adhesive. This way, you can create a quiet, atmospheric space in minutes — without drilling or glue.

 

In this extensive knowledge blog, we delve deeper into the subject matter:

 

Table of Contents – What are acoustic wall panels made of felt and how do they work?

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1. Why good acoustics are essential

 

Sound moves in waves. When these waves collide with a hard wall, they bounce back—which we experience as reverberation. The more reflections, the noisier a space sounds. This effect is even stronger in modern homes with high ceilings and smooth surfaces.

 

Poor acoustics affects:

                  •               Concentration – in offices and home workplaces.

                  •               Intelligibility – during conversations and video conferences.

                  •               Comfort – in living rooms or bedrooms with a lot of echo.

 

With the right sound-absorbing panels, you can create a peaceful environment by capturing some of the sound.

The reverberation disappears, conversations sound clearer, and the room feels warmer.

 

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2. What are acoustic wall panels made of felt?

 

An acoustic wall panel made of felt is a decorative element that absorbs sound waves.

Each panel is made entirely of PET felt — a soft, sturdy material made from 60% recycled PET bottles.

 

The special feature of felt is its fiber structure: open enough to absorb sound, dense enough to dampen it.

When sound waves hit the surface, they disappear between the fibers. The vibration is absorbed and no longer reflected, increasing sound comfort.

 

Our panels are made of 9mm thick Dutch felt, tested in the reverberation room of TU Delft.

Result: an absorption value (αw) of up to 0.80 (with 2.5cm denim wool) – which means: almost complete sound absorption at certain frequencies.

 

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3. How exactly does felt work as a sound absorber?

 

Sound consists of vibrations at different frequencies: low, mid, and high tones.

The open fiber structure of felt “catches” these frequencies at different depths.

This ensures a balanced sound, without echoes or hard reflections.

 

💡 Did you know?

A wall with felt panels can reduce up to 50% of the reverberation compared to a bare wall.

 

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4. PET felt: local, sustainable, and cleverly designed

 

At Maeven, we exclusively use Dutch-produced PET felt, made from recycled plastic bottles. This Dutch felt has a much higher density.

Each sheet goes through three steps:

                  1.             Collecting bottles.

                  2.             Grinding into flakes.

                  3.             Melting into fibers, pressed into felt sheets.

 

The result is a circular product that lasts a long time, is free of adhesives or chemical additives, and remains recyclable.

 

Sustainability is not an afterthought — it is the foundation.

By producing locally, we save transport miles, maintain control over quality, and support the Dutch manufacturing industry.

 

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5. Felt versus wood: the difference in acoustics

 

Wooden slat panels are popular — but they work differently.

Wood breaks sound, felt absorbs it.

That means:

                  •               Wood provides diffusion (scattering).

                  •               Felt provides damping (absorption).

 

The combination is ideal: many customers opt for a felt background with wooden slats.

This gives you the warm look of wood, but with the silence of felt.

 

Our panels cover an average of 50% of the surface with wood, while the rest consists of sound-absorbing felt — a perfect balance between design and acoustics.

 

6. Unique advantages of Maeven Art panels

 

✅ Self-adhesive – no tools or glue needed

Remove the film, stick the panel directly onto the wall, and you're done.

No drilling, no sealant, no damage.

 

✅ Measurable acoustic effect

Our panels have been tested by TU Delft and Cauberg-Huygen.

You can already hear the difference with just one wall of 4m².

 

✅ Dutch design, available nowhere else

Each collection — such as Loa, Maya, and Sade — is designed exclusively for Maeven.

No imports, no generic patterns, but manually designed shapes.

 

✅ Sustainable & maintenance-free

The PET felt is colorfast, moisture-resistant, and easy to keep clean.

 

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7. Applications per room

 

🛋 Living room

 

Large open space with a lot of reverberation? Felt panels break reflections and soften the sound.

Combine colors for a design statement — for example, Cognac and Sand Grey for warmth.

 

💼 Office or workplace

 

Less distraction, less reverberation. Ideal behind a desk or in meeting rooms.

Even 2 m² of panels can make a difference in speech intelligibility.

 

🛏 Bedroom

 

A quiet room calls for soft materials.

Place panels behind the bed as a visual eye-catcher and acoustic buffer.

 

🍽 Hospitality & public spaces

 

Create comfort for guests. Our panels are widely used in the hospitality industry, hotels, and reception areas — they improve acoustics and appearance.

 

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8. The science behind acoustics

 

The effect of felt panels is physically measurable.

Testing was conducted in the TU Delft reverberation room:

 

This means that the more air behind it, the wider the frequency range that is absorbed.

 

This value makes our panels suitable for both homes and professional spaces such as offices and studios.

 

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9. Sustainability: silence with a conscience

 

Each square meter of panel prevents approximately 45 plastic bottles from ending up in the waste mountain.

The material is fully recyclable and meets the strictest European standards.

 

In addition, our products are processed manually in the Netherlands, which means less transport and local employment.

 

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10. Design that brings peace

 

Acoustics is technology, but design is feeling.

That's why we design our panels as art objects: each set has balance, rhythm and depth.

You can place them horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — and even combine them into your own compositions.

 

“From bare wall to serene wall in 15 minutes — without drilling, without noise, with silence as a result.”

 

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11. Installation in 3 steps

                  1.             Dust the wall.

                  2.             Remove the protective film from the adhesive layer.

                  3.             Position the panel and press lightly.

 

Want to change the composition later? No problem.

The adhesive layer is strong, but can be removed neatly without damaging the wall.

 

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12. Experience the difference

 

Whether you seek tranquility in the living room or silence in an office: felt panels are the most efficient and stylish solution.

With Dutch craftsmanship, sustainable materials and unique design, Maeven Art is the silent force behind a better-sounding interior.

 

🎯 Discover the collection or request a sample kit – and hear for yourself what silence does.

 

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🔗 Internal link structure

                  •               Link to product category: Acoustic felt wall panels

                  •               Link to blog: What is the difference between felt and wooden panels?

                  •               Link to FAQ: How much sound does a panel really dampen?

                  •               Link to page: Acoustic art / paintings

 

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