About RUPERT OOI SAY YUNG : Rupert Ooi owns MATTENESS INTERIOR DESIGN - a consultancy which focuses mainly on project management in hospitality and high-end residential areas. His role in the company is to translate and conceptualize briefs into sustainable designs which accurately reflect clients’ requirements and business plans. Founded in 2018, Rupert and his team work diligently to ensure MATTENESS INTERIOR DESIGN delivers innovative solutions that work for the present and the future. “As the name MATTENESS INTERIOR DESIGN goes, I believe that in order to create a great design or something that never existed before, one needs to possess extreme passion in his work - others often see that as a state of “MADNESS,” but we constantly seek to redefine and rethink interiors way beyond the conventional perception of space, - that drive eventually brought the company to be noticed in the international community.” Touching a little bit on when he found inspiration to dive in the world of design as well as what matters to him most as a business owner, Rupert mentioned his creative flair was sparked at a tender age of 7 years and has pursued his dream ever since. After graduating with a Bachelor (Hons) of Interior Architecture from Limkokwing University in 2010, Rupert worked in a multi-disciplinary environment and gained unique skills and experience in interior design. Later on, as a captain of his own ship, the industry role as a designer has then shifted to an entrepreneur, interpersonal, and technical skills are very much needed to deliver a project that the team and our clients can be proud of. To Rupert, seeing the smiles on the clients’ faces and how they infuse their personal touches into each space after the completion of each project is truly rewarding, and he certainly loves his job for this reason. It is also very encouraging when our studio gains friendships with our valuable clients, as our businesses and job opportunities are mostly by word of mouth. Despite challenges brought by the pandemic during the year 2020 - 2021, especially at the beginning when the company had to put large projects at a halt, MATTENESS INTERIOR DESIGN persevered and looked for ways to expedite their plan to diversify the company’s direction by not limiting their criteria/target to depend solely in residential projects but also able to handle project across various scale as interior design consultants. The company was able to produce high-quality interior works and technical drawings for a bigger portfolio. During the pandemic the company gave back to the community via its corporate social responsibility projects - one such project was for the St. Nicholas’ Home (Penang), a non-profit charitable organisation which aims to respond to the evolving needs of the blind and visually impaired (BVI) community in Malaysia. “St. Nicholas’ Home gave us a good opportunity to convert one of their buildings located at the centre of a six-acre land to a full-fledged cafe and kitchen.” The space will be utilised as a training ground for the BVIs to empower them with modern living skills so that they can find employment and live independent lives. “We always love to and think it’s crucial for designers and architects to be involved in community development to bring more aesthetic value and added functionality to public building/space. Ultimately, we hope to bring awareness to the public on the importance of involving interior designers. Excellent designs should always be affordable for all to experience.”