We sat down with Varshini Gopal to talk about her winning Mattoboard entry into our latest design challenge.
For our latest competition, we challenged designers to create a Mattoboard for a café bar in a style of their choice. Winner Varshini Gopal wowed us with her Greek temple concept and immaculate eye for color and materials.
I'm a creative professional with a leaning towards all things art and craft, both in theory and practice, which led me to architecture. I'm currently based in India and my formal education includes a Bachelors in Architecture from Bangalore, India and a Masters in Interior design from UCA,Canterbury. I currently work with Design Cartel, an architectural practice that is conscious and intentional in its design approach. This career path comes from my deep-rooted interest in the interaction between people and the space they inhabit, how environments change and morph depending on so many things, including the intangibles like memory, nostalgia and aspects of psychology that we take for granted. Through this, I'd say I'm constantly exploring ways to make built spaces that work for its inhabitants, both functionally and aesthetically.
I feel like a café has always been a place to socialize and foster community. So my inspiration comes from public architecture of the past, particularly Greek and Roman plazas where gatherings were most frequent, as well as other classical structures (particularly temples). Sketching and learning about these monuments and features was an integral part of architecture school and in a way, I wanted this mood board to reflect that learning, and elevate it into a relatable present-day concept. I think a cafe could be both visually stunning as well as have a warm, comforting quality in its ambience like the Amalfi sunsets.
Ancient Greek architecture, in all its majesty, especially the temples with their colossal porticoes, have always been fascinating - the proportions are not just grand design decisions, but derived from a place of numerical perfection. I feel like it lends a sense of nostalgia, of something old but iconic, like the fluted columns and geometrical patterns that have been replicated time and again, but still remain robust in any context. I wanted to marry this feeling of reminiscence with a related geographical setting, the beautiful Italian coast. A vacation spot that most people associate with a lazy afternoon of lounging on a beach and ending the day with a perfect sunset.
I wanted the scheme to reflect something spacious and light, but also add an element of interest in the overall material palette. This potentially meant alternating between something that had a bright interesting pattern and something more plain and natural. so the backdrop, intended to be the flooring, reflects this.The next bit was to incorporate texture and color, which were built up in light, warm shades through the paneling, laminates and the tiles. Then came the layering, with soft furnishing defining the seating and upholstery. To finish off, I experimented with accessories, both organic and otherwise, finally using the original inspiration images to tie the concept together.
Color is very subjective to most designers and this plays into the final outcome in surprising ways. I like sticking to lighter colors for most part because of how much daylight it allows into the space. Usually, it's quite easy to create color schemes that are either warm or cool-toned. This moodboard was a bit of a challenge because I wanted two strong contrasting shades: the regal blue of the greek geometric pattern as well as the soft sunset pink. This comes through in accent pieces like the laminates, dinnerware and a geometric wall mural with the earthy tiles. Whereas the cooler whites and blues dominate to create a feeling of grandiose, reminiscent of the temples.
I'd have to say the internet has now become an indispensable source of inspiration for a lot of creatives - so the platforms I frequently look at are; Pinterest, Behance, Dribble and various design blogs. Beyond that, I look for inspiration in my everyday experiences, the rich culture I am a part of, my travels, archived photographs, the narratives of fellow creatives and the brilliant writing and artwork of so many people who've created throughout time and history.
Mattoboard has been a game-changer for me in terms of simplifying the rendering and sampling process. Their real-time rendering saves so much time and gives stunning results that are ready to be presented. It allows for simple concepts (fewer materials, smaller/temporal spaces) as well as complex projects (lots of materials, objects, bigger areas), along with the tools to create multiple iterations that are a necessary part of any design process. The intuitive interface means I can put things together immediately without too big a learning curve as is common for most software. Experimenting is a big part of learning for me, and sometimes the trial and error is worth it for the end result - Mattoboard allows for exactly that, with the added feature of importing assets to create bespoke textures as well.
My favorite feature is the ability to layer objects with textured materials, specifically at different scales, with editable properties. This, combined with a brilliant library of brands and materials make the sampling process that much more efficient and accessible to designers worldwide.
Mattoboard is a 3D tool for designers. Our drag and drop technology helps you design quickly & experiment endlessly. Stay on trend and use visual storytelling to create mood and material boards.
