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Ask Maria: Will My White Kitchen be Cold?

10/15/2013
45 Comments

“My husband and I are gutting our white kitchen and putting in another white kitchen but with a better lay-out. While I would love custom cabinets and quartz counters, those materials would be an “over-renovation” for our neighbourhood and type of house. We chose Ikea cupboards in the white Applad door profile which is completely…

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Trendy Thanksgiving Pumpkins

10/13/2013
10 Comments

  Here’s my entry vignette to celebrate Thanksgiving. My neighbours were quick to compliment me on the colour since they are used to seeing all white flowers in my garden, haha. Every year when the fall magazines arrive on the newsstands it’s always fun to see how many ways a pumpkin can be decorated. Painted…

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Ask Maria: Is my Roof the Right Colour?

10/11/2013
14 Comments

‘Just read your post about roofs. Because our house is in FL, we were advised to go with a lighter roof.  Matter of fact, we may even get more credit on homeowner’s insurance now!   There were not a lot of choices.  This was NOT even the lightest grey/slate color; there was only one darker…

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5 Best Ways to Choose your Roof Colour

10/08/2013

If the first thing you notice is the colour of the roof when you drive up to your house, that’s a good indication that it may not be the right choice. Here are the 5 best ways to choose your roof colour.  If the first thing you notice is the colour of the roof when…

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Ivy Wall Mural Inside my Design Studio

10/06/2013
62 Comments

This ivy wall mural gave much needed life to my interior design studio walls. See the before and after.  After much thinking, I decided to order the wall of ivy wall mural instead of the very cool, huge leaf mural because I wanted it to look like a real garden wall right inside my studio….

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I Don’t Follow the Trends. Is this You?

10/04/2013
35 Comments

I consult with homeowners all over the US and Canada and today I was virtually in London, one thing that is consistent in my business is that almost everyone asks me for the same colours at the same time. Which I find fascinating. When grey first arrived on the scene, I chose lots of green…

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Trend Colour Forecasting is Not for Everyone

10/01/2013
32 Comments

Recently, I had lunch with the Design Director of Maxwell Fabrics, Jennifer Apple. We had a very interesting conversation about trends based on the experience she had while attending the Color Marketing Group conference three years ago. Jennifer found that while knowing colour trends two to three years ahead is important, adopting the trends as soon as…

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True Colour Experts™ at VanDusen Gardens

09/29/2013
6 Comments

Here is my latest class of True Colour Experts™ from September’s course of my Specify Colour with Confidence™ Training at the VanDusen Botanical Gardens. I’m always so amazed and thrilled to see how far people come to attend! (Back row) Becky Noelker (St Louis, MO), Andrea Shaw (Tswassen, BC), Lisa Loeppky (Steinbach, MB), Lisa DiGiorgio (Lopez…

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Urban Industrial Chic Renovation in West Vancouver

09/25/2013
22 Comments

Whenever anyone asks me if I know of a great kitchen designer, I always refer them to Jan Romanuk. She designed my fabulous white kitchen last year and Quality Cabinets installed the cabinets. Not only is she a wonderful kitchen designer but she has been renovating high end homes for so long, there is nothing…

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Tablescapes at the IDS Show

09/23/2013
15 Comments

This was the post I wanted to show you Friday but I couldn’t upload the images into WordPress. The media event at the IDS show this past weekend was filled with herbs mixed with boxwood and pansies. Here’s a glimpse of some Swiss Chard. This booth I stopped and admired was decorated by Harmony Sense…

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I’m off to Seattle for the Weekend

09/20/2013
16 Comments

My drapery went up today in the master bedroom and family room, can’t wait to show you! I’m off to Seattle for the weekend for some Fall shopping! I need something to wear when I lead my True Colour Expert Training happening at the VanDusen Gardens next week! We will stay at our favourite hotel in…

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The Shocking Truth about TOO much Black

09/17/2013
75 Comments

When is too much black just bad? In 2011 when we were living in our townhouse in North Vancouver, I chose the wrong fabric for my new chair and ottoman. I was so embarrassed. The truth is, I was procrastinating I had my yellow sofa (above) and that was an easy choice for me to make….

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My New Decorative Gate: Before & After

09/15/2013
59 Comments

When MaryAnne White, my Landscape Architect and I were discussing the decorative fencing and gate for the side entrance to the backyard, she sent over this picture with a note that said “Your gate should look like this”. And of course, that’s just what I installed. Here’s the before with the endless amounts of concrete…

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Are My Accessories Dated?

09/13/2013
59 Comments

Wondering if your accessories are dated? Do you feel like you have too many accessories already? Here are my favorite tips for styling your accessories if it’s feeling a bit dated. And, sometimes that means editing what you have and purchasing new accessories.  A client once told me she had so many accessories, she couldn’t…

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Learn to be Bossy Yet Charming

09/08/2013
34 Comments

This is a post written by Irene Hill, my Design Associate: It’s been two years since I’ve started working with Maria and it’s been about the same amount of time since I had a paying client, but occasionally I get an emergency call from a friend. Just recently my phone rang with a plea for…

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