Born in Jamaica and raised in Toronto, Canada, design and staging pro Matthew Finlason is renowned for transforming interiors and captivating audiences with his bold aesthetic, wicked humor, and go-for-the-guts approach. Determined to carve his own unique path in a town full of “yes-men” and an industry bent on perfection, he’s quickly developed a lively circle of L.A. clientele who’ve come to refer to him as their “design sage”, “furniture whisperer”, “real estate healer” and “property guru”.
Matthew is a property mentalist who exposes the truth behind his client’s interior lives guiding them through a process he describes as “environmental restoration”. His growing reputation to fix, treat, soothe and pamper both homeowners and their properties has spread like a fever amongst the city’s social, financial and artistic elite — from millionaire Malibu housewives to young, hip Hollywood hotshots.
His television credits include being host of HGTV’s The Stagers, which won Matthew an award for “Best Host” in a Lifestyle Series. He was also invited to compete on HGTV Showdown with teammate Olympic gold medalist, Kristy Yamaguchi against HGTV’s Sabrina Soto and Drew Lachey in a high-octane, race-against-the-clock design competition.
Most recently, he’s appeared on HGTV’s Selling L.A. as one of the country’s most sought-after staging and design experts.
When he’s not decorating for quirky clients or designing for beach side commercial projects, Matthew consults and stages for high-end firms Dekora in Vancouver and Meridith Baer & Associates in Los Angeles. He can also be found touring the US, giving keynote addresses on the country’s foreclosure crisis, and teaching designers, stagers and agents how to effectively pimp exclusive luxury estates by simply targeting the lifestyles and dreams of the right buyer.