Media Release

May 14 2009

UniSA’s home-made designer hits our TV screens

UniSA graduate and homeMADE contestant Matthew Simpson. UniSA graduate Matthew Simpson is among the contestants battling it out on Channel Nine’s new program ‘homeMADE’.

Simpson’s passion to design saw him give up his day-job as an administrative assistant more than 10 years ago and enrol as a mature age student at UniSA. He graduated with a Bachelor of Interior Design in 2001, finishing with the highest score in his final year design studio class.

He is a member of the Design Institute of Australia and is committed to design education through his involvement as a tutor with UniSA’s Louis Laybourne Smith School of Architecture and Design.

Since graduating from UniSA, Simpson has opened up his own design company, Matthew Travis Simpson Pty Ltd in Port Adelaide.

He describes his design style as a warm mix of modernism and minimalism. Simpson uses natural materials, colours and textures that are customised to meet the needs of the individual client.
A house designed and built by Matthew Simpson.
He says his motivation for going on the show was to give himself a great challenge, to have the chance to earn $100,000 in eight weeks and to help highlight that there’s a lot more to interior design than decorating.

“I’ve noticed that in the past, interior design has been portrayed in mainstream media as a very craft-based profession,” he said.

“I was keen to be involved with a project that showed skilled interior designers are often involved in major structural modifications as well as surface details.”

Simpson is South Australia’s only contestant in the show. Now that filming in Sydney has finished, he is back in Woodville with his three sons and wife.

“Being involved with the show was an amazing experience, it not only gave me a chance to do something unique with my design skills but also provide insight into the design process.”

Simpson is competing against nine other talented designers from around Australia for the $100,000 cash prize. Each week the contestants are divided into two teams to makeover a suburban family home.

Simpson’s work has been praised by top Australian design experts including Paul Hecker of Australia’s leading design firm, Hecker Phelan & Guthrie.

homeMADE is the first new project for the creators of The Block, David Barbour and Julian Cress under their new production company Cavalier Television.

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