Matthew Finlason

The Bungalow

Dip to Hip

This had to be one of the most dramatic transformations on both seasons of The Stagers. We had to overcome a peach paint pallet and cheap décor to transform a small suburban house into a chic modern space, while not stepping on the client's pit-bull. His white Barcelona chair gave us minimal comfort screaming for an environment befitting its status. They call me "the furniture whisperer," which explains why I have trouble listening to people.

With a modest budget, I tried to convince the owner, a 30-year-old partying bachelor, to repaint. We only had enough money for the entryway. Preferring to work with neautral palettes, we aren't always so lucky. If there is any team that can make all incarnations of yellow look hot it's Matthew and Rukiya. We both come from Jamaican roots, and we can work with purples, golds, and everything in-between. We brought in photography with sharp yellow tones and two stacked deep orange-red contemporary paintings to spark up a smokin' palette. It turned a boring suburban bungalow into a showpiece.

When staging a pair of Dekora's swank chairs opposite his dated micro-fibre suede sofa, we saw hope that this job may actually come together. By getting rid of the massive desk from the center of the dining room, we were able to create a roomy, elegant family eating area by positioning a new wooden table with six sleek white leather chairs and a light fixture. All this within the client's budget.

Running out of time and money, we hit up Dekora's Tracey Hendrix to assist with decorating and Steve Tyrell, rocker and jack-of-all-trades, to paint us a large feature piece in modern black & whites to neutralize the entire palette. The painting partnered perfectly with the Barcelona chair to at least find it a spot, if not the right home.

Photos courtesy of HGTV and Walter Ledaca

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