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Category: How to Choose Colour

Updated Painted Cherry Kitchen via eDesign; Before & After

02/07/2019
46 Comments
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This post is about an eDesign consultation! I was so thrilled to receive ‘after ‘ photos of this project because this house is so pretty! Here’s what my client shared in her questionnaire: We just moved in and are planning to be here for 20+ years. We love that the… Continue Reading →


A Shortcut to Arranging Pillows on a Sectional: Before & After

12/07/2018
34 Comments
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Hi Everyone, just a quick heads up, my Spring dates for my Specify Colour with Confidence events are up, we are going to Palm Springs, Toronto, Atlanta, Houston and New Jersey, register here. ___________________________________ Back when I was a brand new designer, I always remember being in a home where… Continue Reading →


An eDesign Front Door Colour Transformation; Before and After

10/20/2018
8 Comments
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Source Of the thousands of colours out there, how do you know what the best choice is for your front door? Why do some front doors look fab and others drab or just plain wrong? My lovely client Patti consulted with me via eDesign to get her front door colour… Continue Reading →


Do’s and Don’ts for Choosing the Right Fence Colour

10/11/2018
37 Comments
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Image via Zillow (Love this image, no fence, just beauty) Whenever I research a post I’m writing to see what other people are saying, I always cringe when I see declarations like this, from articles giving colour advice to the consumer: “When it comes to picking out the right paint… Continue Reading →


You Won’t Want to Leave this Boutique Spa; Before & After

10/08/2018
29 Comments
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I found Alison McGivern through my sister Elizabeth Jacobs. Over the years, I have become accustomed to the facials I receive in her home spa. It’s at the point where I rarely book facials anywhere else because I just end up laying there getting more annoyed by the second, because… Continue Reading →


Inside an eDesign Paint Colour Consultation; Before & After

09/19/2018
20 Comments
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Interior Design by Maria Killam (another pic of the wall colour we specified) Today I’m sharing a simple eDesign consultation for a new wall colour so you can get a sense of what the process looks like. So first, we need photos, taken in good natural light, without flash, AND… Continue Reading →


Ask Maria: Every Colour in my Living Room Looks Green! Help!

09/15/2018
17 Comments
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Since I finally had the brilliant idea to ask for clean vs. dirty dilemmas or issues where ya’ll think the lighting might be the problem, here’s a great question I received along with this lovely room from a reader: Thank you for your post. I finally understand why my family… Continue Reading →


What Everyone Should Know About Joy

09/09/2018
39 Comments
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I’ve never been a fan of anything too pointy. Not in fashion or design. Years ago, someone gifted me a pendant in the shape of a triangle. I never wore it. It’s probably why my design aesthetic is more traditional vs. ultra modern. Traditional design has way more curves, while… Continue Reading →


5 Reasons Your Paint Colour Looks Wrong (It’s NOT the Lighting)

09/06/2018
36 Comments
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  source I’ve been specifying paint colours for 20 years. In my experience, the number one reason why a client becomes critical of a paint colour is when it doesn’t relate to anything. That’s when they start to assume that light may in fact be the culprit. Designers are notorious… Continue Reading →


How to Choose The Best Colours for a Staged Home; Before & After

08/12/2018
30 Comments
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Style at Home I recently received such a good list of questions followed by photos that I decided to turn this readers entire email into a blog post that I think will help everyone, especially on the heels of my last post about clean vs. dirty colours. First, here’s the… Continue Reading →


Your Clean and Dirty Images are IN and Here’s My Take

08/06/2018
96 Comments
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Thanks so much to everyone who emailed me with images they felt would belong in a clean/dirty discussion from my last post, as promised, I’m going to show you a few emails along with the photos I was sent. As usual, someone always makes a comment similar to this one… Continue Reading →


Yellow is Back! Avoid the Mistake Almost Everyone Makes Choosing Yellow

04/15/2018
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Source Yellow is Back! How to Avoid the Mistake Almost Everyone Makes When Choosing a Yellow So I’m declaring yellow to be finally coming back, hooray! Tricia, my Senior Colour Designer and I are at High Point Market this weekend, and we’re seeing a lot more yellow than we have… Continue Reading →


Ask Maria: What Colour will Work with my Wood Stained Furniture?

03/05/2018
20 Comments
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Tricia (my Senior Colour Designer) and I were reviewing eDesign projects the other day and she mentioned that clients are always quick to describe the wood stain colour of their dressers and end tables. (By the way, I oversee all of the eDesign, nothing goes out without my input and… Continue Reading →


10 Steps To Planning Your New Build

01/26/2018
38 Comments
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10 Steps To Planning Your New Build In January and February we’re unusually busy in our eDesign department working on New Build packages because this is the time of year when planning begins for renovations or planning your new build. If you’re planning your new build, you should be aware that… Continue Reading →


6 Reasons to Go Bold with Colour (Even if it Terrifies You)

11/19/2017
21 Comments
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I just arrived in Toronto yesterday from LA and I’m here with Terreeia (pronounced Maria with a T) on a sad occasion. Her only sister passed away just over a week ago. Thank you so much for all your kind words! In the meantime, Tricia Firmaniuk, my talented virtual design… Continue Reading →


3 Surprising Reasons Your Colour Scheme Looks Dirty

11/03/2017
62 Comments
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Whenever I have introduced the concept of clean and dirty colours, without fail, someone raises an objection to the term “dirty”. They wonder why I don’t use a term that implies less of a value judgement like “muted” or “toned-down” or “complex”. I’ve been effectively teaching the difference in my… Continue Reading →


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