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Understanding Undertones

Ask Maria: Help! Should my Carpet be Dark or Light Outside?

04/08/2016
10 Comments

Cream stone and cream cushions, lovely | source If you are not a colour expert or not even close, chances are, when you’re considering which colour is right for your interior, whether it’s flooring, carpets, furniture or paint, you might find yourself asking the question, do I go dark or light? Instead of the question you should…

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The 9 Neutral Undertones in the World

11/18/2015
31 Comments

There are 9 neutral undertones in the world. Do you know what they are? I’ll help you visualize them here in this post with an example of how they can be helpful when trying to find the right coordinating shower curtain colour to match (or hide) your bathroom tile. I’ve been thinking about my bathrooms…

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Cream is Old, White is New, and Other Thoughts About Italy

09/14/2015
26 Comments

Turns out, Italy doesn’t always follow the same rules we do when it comes to colour! There’s something about that place that means they can do forest green and a bunch of different undertones with abandon, and somehow, it all still looks amazing. I can’t wait to tell you about my trip, show you some photos of beautiful exteriors, and share a recipe for my favourite Italian cocktail!

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The Best Paint Colours for Your Oak and Maple Cabinetry

09/01/2015
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Do you have oak or maple cabinetry? DO NOT pick a paint colour to coordinate without reading this guest post from Kelly Bernier, a True Colour Expert from beautiful Rhode Island. She’s sharing a lesson directly from my Specify Colour with Confidence course (which is $200 off right now, with the special offer code at the end of this post).

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An Expert Rarely Specifies Anything like Vanna White

08/09/2015
17 Comments

When I was a new designer and I had to choose a sofa for a client, I would show up with my binder full of every sofa style available.

Then as I gained more experience, I realized that doing that made me look like I had no idea which sofa was the right one. And looking back, I mostly didn’t. I was hoping my client would choose to take me off the hook.

It works the same with paint colours.

If you hire a designer or colour consultant and you are left with 10 (or more than 2) different shades of neutrals or colours to test for one room or one exterior?

Well, she (or he) doesn’t know which one is right either.

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How Much Heavy Lifting can a Paint Colour Handle?

01/28/2015
25 Comments

{via pinterest} I get the best questions about paint colour and how much it can or cannot do to “rescue” a mistake someone has made in their house or a mistake they inherited from a previous owner. Sometimes, colour can swoop in and magically save the day, so there’s nothing wrong with wondering if your situation…

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How to Work with Bedroom Carpet You Don’t Like

01/22/2015
31 Comments

Recently, I had a consultation with Lori who wanted help with her great room, paint colours and her bathrooms. She walked me through her house and we created a furniture plan for her great room, chose colours throughout and discussed her bathrooms. In the first bathroom we were able to make the room look new (and save her brand new granite countertop)…

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Should You Install Gray Wood Floors?

08/18/2014
31 Comments

The first day of my Specify Colour with Confidence™ Training is my favourite. It’s when all the participants of my courses have their biggest transformation about understanding colour and undertones. But before they experience this transformation, I set up the entire three days of training with a conversation about magic, about selling the right colour, about selling…

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