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hgtv: HGTV's Matthew Finlason - His Latest Group of Advanced Home Stager Graduates - Toronto - 10/14/11 01:20 PM
   
 
I'm excited to share with everyone that I'm part of the latest group of graduates from Matthew Finlason's Intensive 2-Day Advanced Design & Marketing Course for Home Stagers.  Matthew brought his bag of tricks and a wealth of information to Toronto recently.  I was thrilled to be one of the few in attendance.  The course is kept to a minimum number of students to allow for special attention to each participant's needs. 
Ready to bring my business to the next level, I've already started implementing some of what I've learned to make Dezigner Digz something truly special.
I love to share and write about what I … (14 comments)

hgtv: HGTV's SELLING NEW YORK - What Were Your Thoughts? - 09/10/10 12:54 PM
The first episode of HGTV's Selling New York debuted in Canada Wednesday night.  I've been watching the trailers for it over the last couple of weeks, so I was really stoked to check it out.  I can't get enough of HGTV.
The show centres around two competing New York City real estate firms.  The daily "goings-on" of their brokers are followed as they work the real estate industry.  I get the impression from the first episode anyway, that the two firms chosen couldn't be any more different from one another in how they operate.  They're like night and day.  I guess that was a conscious choice in order to … (11 comments)

hgtv: RESA Las Vegas Staging Conference - A Burlington Home Stager's Point of View - 02/05/10 05:28 PM
 
Well, I'm a little late adding my two cents on the RESA International Staging Conference, but I have an excuse since I just got home late Saturday night.  My Sister-in-Law and a girlfriend joined me for a few more days of Vegas life after the Conference.  Must say I'm "Vegased Out" now, but back to the real reason for my blog - the Staging Conference!
We couldn't have asked for a better turnout, especially for our first conference.  Once we hit 200 attendees, Shell Brodnax managed to pull another 20 tickets out of her hat to bring our total up to a whopping 220 professional home … (20 comments)

hgtv: Matthew Finlason at the Real Estate Staging Association's Vegas Conference - 11/16/09 07:00 PM


You know him from HGTV, and if you're a member of Active Rain, the world's largest real estate network for real estate professionals, you've probably read his interactive comments on blog posts occasionally.  I'm talking about Matthew Finlason, star of HGTV's phenomenal hit T.V. show The Stagers. 
I had the pleasure of interviewing Matthew last year and got some behind-the-scenes details on the show.  For those who may have missed the interview, here is a link to it: 
http://activerain.com/blogsview/604550/HGTVs-The-Stagers-An-Interview-With-Matthew-Finlason-The-Inside-Scoop
I'm thrilled to announce that Matthew has agreed to be a featured speaker at the Real Estate Staging Association's International Conference … (11 comments)

hgtv: HGTV's The Stagers - Do You Want A Third Season? It's Time To Let Them Know! - 07/07/09 06:31 PM
 
[Photo from HGTV's website]
I hope that everyone has been enjoying Season Two of The Stagers as much as I have.  I may not have been doing reviews of each episode as I did last season, but don't think that means I'm over the show; in fact, the complete opposite is true.  I just found that writing the reviews was taking up a lot of my time. 
Season Two is polished.  The Stagers has really found its groove.  The frantic pace of Season One has been left behind and replaced with a show that flows so well.  It's tough to cram so … (28 comments)

hgtv: Feng Shui It! Part 4: How To Improve The Fame & Reputation Area Of Your Home - 03/30/09 06:29 PM


Whether you are selling your home, or improving it for your own enjoyment, Feng Shui can play an important role.
In Part 4 of our Feng Shui It! series, we will be looking at the Fame & Reputation area of your home.  Everyone would like to be famous to an extent, some more than others.  However, it's even more important to have a great reputation, especially in business.  Benjamin Franklin was once quoted as saying: "It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.".  That statement is just as appropriate … (5 comments)

hgtv: HGTV's The Stagers - The Final Episode - Working With a Client's Existing Furniture - 09/24/08 12:54 PM

[Photo from HGTV's website]
As the old saying goes, "all good things must come to an end".  That was exactly the case last night with HGTV's The Stagers' final episode of the season.  I was glad to see that the season ended on a high note with Matthew at the wheel.  Alongside Matthew for this project was Rakiya, who has previously assisted him on other assignments.  Great news: Rakiya has moved up the staging ladder to Stager-In-Training.  You go girl!  She will now be accountable if a client doesn't like the end result. 
The property in the spotlight this time was listed … (12 comments)

hgtv: The Stagers - Episode #10 Recap: Mr. Finlason in the Study With a Peacock Feather - 09/11/08 04:58 PM

[Photo from HGTV's website]
Well, I have to say that I have been really looking forward to this episode.  This was the only pairing of Matthew and Bridget for a staging project this season.  I'm sure a lot of feathers were ruffled off-camera but things went well in spite of it.
The home in need of some TLC this time around was built in the 1930's and was approximately 5,000 square feet in size.  The asking price for this one was a mere $2,988,000 (not outrageous I suppose by Vancouver standards).  The team had 5 days to work their miracles.
… (9 comments)

hgtv: The Stagers - Episode 8 - The Loft - My Thoughts (For What They're Worth) - 08/27/08 11:23 AM

[Photo from HGTV's website]
Has a week gone by already?  It only seems like a few days ago when I sat down to see the last episode.
Matthew was back in the driver's seat, along with the return of his friend Sara, who helped him out on a previous episode. 
This time around, Matthew was given the assignment of staging a 1,000 sq. ft. loft that apparently was "right down his bowling alley".  The listing price for this property was $499,000 and the team had 4 days to pull off the transformation before the open house.
The homeowner was out of town, so … (21 comments)

hgtv: The Stagers - Episode 7 - Who Says Oil & Water Don't Mix? - 08/13/08 11:58 AM

[Photo from HGTV's website]
I would have to say that this was the best episode to date in my opinion.  Matthew and Tracey are the dynamic duo that brings this project to its successful completion along with Rukiya, their staging assistant.  Rukiya, as in other episodes, comes to their aid and makes the project gel together with her cool, "keep everybody calm" manner.  We could all use a Rukiya in our lives.  She commented early on in the episode that Matthew and Tracey are like oil and water and that they come from opposite design spectrums.  That may be the case, but … (8 comments)

hgtv: HGTV's The Stagers - An Interview With Matthew Finlason - The Inside Scoop - 08/09/08 12:44 AM


Unless you've been living under a rock, the latest buzz in the home staging industry is Paperny Film's most recent production, The Stagers.  Television viewers are given a sense of what actually goes on in the life of a Home Stager at Dekora, one of Canada's leading staging companies based in Vancouver, British Columbia.  The show airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. on HGTV Canada.   
I had the pleasure of interviewing Matthew Finlason, star of The Stagers recently.  You couldn't ask for a more enjoyable exchange.  I'm honoured that Matthew graciously took the time to do this interview during his out-of-country hiatus from filming.  I'm looking forward … (48 comments)

hgtv: The Stagers - Episode 5 - Staging A Lived-In Home - 07/30/08 11:18 AM
 
[Photo from HGTV's website]
Another great episode of The Stagers last night.  The project this time was a 1,600 square foot cluttered, outdated home listed at $1,498,000.  Dekora's team had 4 days to get the job done.  This was an owner-occupied property that required working with the client's existing furniture and accessories (or so it started out).  I was really pumped up to see how the transformation would turn out since some of the more challenging staging jobs involve working with only the owner's furniture and decor items. 
I wasn't sure which Stager would be featured in this episode.  I was pleasantly surprised … (19 comments)

hgtv: HGTV's The Stagers - Episode 4 - "A Comfortable, Stylin' Home" - 07/22/08 10:24 PM



[Photo from HGTV website]


With all of the hype surrounding HGTV's newest show The Stagers, I couldn't wait to watch Episode 4.  As a Professional Home Stager, I guess I am more critical of some of the shows that are out there on T.V.,  especially those that really don't portray what we do in an accurate way. 
Episodes 1 to 3 have not disappointed (although I thought Episode 2 became more about design rather than staging).
Did Episode 4 find its mark?  At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I'd say the city got a little brighter last night. Wondering why? 

 
 
… (24 comments)

hgtv: The Stagers - Episode 3 Review - There's Still Hope! - 07/16/08 08:16 AM
I was really pumped to watch The Stagers third episode last night, even though I was disappointed in episode two.
The property chosen was an 1,100 square foot bungalow that had been sitting on the market for 3 months with no bites.  The listing price was $765,000, $720,000, $699,000 (yes, 2 previous price reductions).  Too bad the homeowners hadn't called in a Stager sooner.
This episode featured a mother and daughter staging team.  They were very polite and tactful with the homeowners which I was really glad to see.  Some of the shows on TV portray us as being rude and insulting to … (16 comments)

hgtv: The Stagers - Weighing In On HGTV's Newest Show - 07/01/08 10:07 PM
Some of the existing shows on T.V. that portray home staging are more for entertainment value and do not really represent what we, as home stagers actually do.
I've been anxious to see HGTV's new addition to their lineup - The Stagers, especially since it's filmed in Canada.  Dekora of Vancouver is the staging company that takes it to the screen.  Matthew, principal Stager on this first job was a treasure - very entertaining and most likeable.  Tracey, the senior Stager has to reel Matthew in at times, she is the more practical of the two.  
Some of the other TV shows about home staging are overdone in how … (28 comments)

hgtv: Dezigner Digz at The Designs For Living Home Show - Hamilton Convention Centre - March 14-16, 2008 - 03/04/08 04:04 PM

Dezigner Digz is proud to be an exhibitor at the 21st Annual Designs For Living Home Show at the Hamilton Convention Centre.  The show is running from March 14-16, 2008. 
Celebrity presenters include Glen Peloso from the popular television shows Restaurant Makeover and Take This House & Sell It as well as Jane Lockhart, star of Colour Confidential on the W Network.
Bringing the kids with you?  No problem.  Show organizers have looked after that for you.  Take the kids to the KidZone to play while you enjoy the show.
Stop by and visit Dezigner Digz at Booth #338 and enter our draw for a floral arrangement designed by our … (2 comments)