MATTHEW Lim has become a go-to name in interior design since 2015, transforming grand mansions and luxury homes into bespoke enclaves.
He founded his interior styling firm, Matthew Lim Associates, at 21 and has become a sought-after guru with his eye for detail, as he mixes edgy lightings, art installations, contemporary ceramics and custom-made furniture with aplomb..
It’s all about blending elegance and comfort, according to the award-winning designer, who has worked across eight countries in Southeast Asia..
What defines luxury in the interior designing field?
Interior design is a very subjective field. Personally, I relate luxury design to the scale of the space, whether or not it is blessed with natural sunlight, surrounded by good scenery, such as plenty of greenery or a city skyline view.
Then the value-added design elements such as lighting ambience, finishing materials, high quality fabrics and textiles, customised furniture, smart home systems and aesthetic decorations elevate the quality of living,
hence creating a luxury interior design.
What is your approach or signature style when designing bespoke interior?
My approach is manipulating the space with proportion and to emphasise design detailing and joineries that come with unique finishing materials.
For instance, we often apply natural stone as the focal point, and create contrast between fine and raw finishing materials.
Not to forget the application of different textures that originate from wood surfaces, textiles, fabrics as well as artwork. These enrich the overall experience of a luxury space.
How do you balance comfort and aesthetic appeal?
First study and understand the occupants’ behaviour and lifestyle.
If designing for a particular brand, we dive into the brand’s identity, target audiences and how they would want their guests to feel in their curated space.
I believe that a comfortable and aesthetically appealing space comes with the combination of practicality and beauty.
Our focus is to elevate the status of a space by applying the best practical solutions, proposing the right finishing materials that play around with the five senses.
Tell us about designing your latest award-winning project, The Mansions.
The Mansions is a luxury bespoke residential project. We invested a lot of time and effort understanding the different users of the space, which include the client’s wife, four kids of different ages, and their three helpers.
The client’s main objective is to create a high-quality living environment, with a unique character based on their living habits and lifestyle.
Much attention was given to their kids in curating the space as the client intended to create a space suitable for their growth and development.
What inspired you to become a bespoke interior designer?
I did not position myself in this category during my early years.
I had the opportunity to explore many options and I found myself being very attentive to every detail in my creations.
I started narrowing down my projects to those that I could explore and make unique designs happen.
As explained earlier, I do have an eye for natural finishing materials of stones and timber.
This is probably the reason why I became better at fabricating luxury interiors.
