Matchstick Social Mural
It’s Lit!
It’s no secret that this time of year can feel a little hectic. My recent design project for Charleston based Matchstick Social was anything but. This premier marketing agency was a dream to work with and I am eager to share some behind the scenes for how the finished mural came to fruition. Indulge me!
Here is the wall that needed some love. In a brand new office space, the possibilities are truly endless. I was thrilled that Matchstick reached out to me to bring some life into the space. The planning phase began with a call discussing what they were looking for, timeline, etc. The illustrated wallpaper below was what had originally gotten the wheels turning for a mural in their new space. They loved the concept but this wallpaper didn’t have any personal meaning / connection to them. Enter me! We chatted about how to use this as a leaping off point to design a mural with custom matchbooks.
Taking into account Matchstick’s branding, I began finding references from vintage matchbooks. I sketched the original matchbooks, and then used the layouts and fonts as a leaping point for the custom phrases and images provided by the client. Once I had an idea of shapes, seen in the last image, I was able to start thinking about layout and color placement.
The layout came together naturally, using the image’s ratio to match the walls. At this point, we realized that not enough of the matchbooks highlighted core values of Matchstick, so we pivoted and removed the restaurant matchbooks and swapped them for things that are more personal. So we went from a black and white design, to three full color options for the client, to one revised design. We ended up using the last colorway option, with the mint green background for a more subtle vibe.
The installation was a breeze in their brand new space. The final mural measures 19’ x 8’ and truly makes the space feel alive. I am so excited to see Matchstick settle into their new office with this big beauty as the backdrop. Here is the finished installation!
Curious how long this process took from start to finish? Typically all mural project have a 4 week turn around from initial inquiry to finished install. To get the ball rolling for a project of your own, contact me at info@rachaelnerney.com.