Looking Beyond Design with Matthew Lim

Matthew Lim of Matthew Lim Associates has slowly made his way to the upper echelon ranks in our local interior design scene. Aside from his keen eye for design, this talented individual also snagged a spot on August Man Magazine’s A-Lister 2021 list! His rags to riches story from our first interview has genuinely inspired up-and-coming talents to look beyond adversities, proving that hard work does indeed pay off.

Matthew was very visually driven as a young boy, taking an interest in design and art, which later grew into a passion that brought about questions of origin, development, and purpose. “I slowly started to understand how beauty involved more that what meets the eye, there is always a story to tell, a purpose behind everything we see”, Matthew noted. This keen interest maneuvered him towards a career in interior design, allowing him to further delve into the makings of art and style.

His first project was a 200sq ft bakery at Pavillion, Kuala Lumpur, in 2014. As a newcomer to the scene, young Matthew offered his services at a meager rate. Looking back, although it was worth the experience, he noted that the project took up almost all his time and energy. He learned that as an interior professional, an eye for design isn’t the only necessity; one would also require know-how in project management, cost control, and communication with various individuals. Learning from the highs and lows of his project, Matthew states that it was an invaluable experience that helped him shape the direction of this company.

Since then, his firm Matthew Lim Associates has garnered a slew of clients who have complete and total trust their work with projects ranging from residential spaces to F&B and commercial projects which have constantly kept them on their toes. He and his team needed to ensure that every project acts as a learning experience to gain knowledge and exposure while retaining their values from the get-go. This was a crucial point in ensuring they grow and evolve with the times.

Now, the interior firm is often associated with bespoke and luxe designs that have been curated specifically to cater to client’s needs, wants and even to resemble the brand or personality of its occupants. Matthew and his team have consistently achieved this with their shared common goal, which is to create purposeful designs and sustainable solutions. Although design and art are fluid, having a common outlook ensures that the entire team is catered toward achieving the same end goal.

In line with this thinking, Matthew likes to be known as a Space Narrator, as he believes that interior design needs to tell a story. A Space Narrator looks for opportunities to create and that is what came about with the collaboration between MLA and renowned brand, Space Furniture. The two brands had worked hand in hand in various projects, which led to Matthew and his team taking the lead when the furniture brand relocated their showroom to Intermark Kuala Lumpur and needed a space transformation. Their successful partnership garnered them features in Robb Report Malaysia, Tatler Homes, and also a highlight on Space Furniture’s newsletter in Australia.

Speaking about the entire experience, Matthew stated, “We believe collaboration with the right individuals will generate a great synergy. At this moment, we’ve got an ongoing partnership with an international hospitality brand and local artist. We’re also looking forward to more collaborations post-pandemic in the hopes of building up our local interior design scene.

“Everything that goes down will come back up, it’s just a matter of time. It’s about persistence, and I do believe that when things bounce back, it will be significant.”

The pandemic has not dampened his spirits. Matthew says, “everything that goes down will come back up, it’s just a matter of time. It’s about persistence, and I do believe that when things bounce back, it will be significant.” This belief is forfeited as he knows that his peers in the industry are gearing towards making a bigger and better come back into the interior design scene once it is safe again. But Matthew has also been grateful for the time that he can spend with his family as they welcomed an exciting new addition, a baby girl. “Parenting is exciting and challenging especially during this pandemic. The challenge is to remain focused while working from home. I’m very thankful for my wife for taking very good care of our daughter during the daytime so that I can focus on work. It’s been a very challenging time for her as well and I appreciate her effort and dedication to our family.”

Matthew’s daughters’ arrival has changed his perspective on life and design, and he says, “I used to be a workaholic, but now my priorities have shifted. I’ve learned the balance between spending quality family time and creating a better work schedule. She also changed my views on daily life. I now look into even the smallest details of homes to ensure that the quality of life is higher and daily tasks are efficiently achievable, especially in a home with children.” In addition, being a father has allowed him to have a firmer grasp on form and function in a space. He believes that good design should help solve one more or more task-oriented issues and that aesthetics should not be the main focus when it comes to design. More often than not, the experience and engagement an occupant have with the space they dwell in make more of an impact than mere aesthetics.