Skip to main content
CartClose Cart

Are China Cabinets Dated? Yay or Nay

08/17/2011
62 Comments

Image via Pinterest I recently bought a sideboard for my dining room (I still need to find lamps, etc which is why I haven’t posted it yet). I certainly had room for a china cabinet but I didn’t buy one because it would have made the space look smaller. Plus what I love about a…

Continue Reading

Vancouver Interior Designer: Will Installing Granite Sell your House Faster?

08/15/2011
38 Comments

My clients previously had renters in the house I’m talking about (below) and were now going to do a quick little renovation to sell it. This was an old character home and the last renovation had been done in the 80’s which meant that all the cabinets in the bathroom and the kitchen were oak. The advice they received from their realtor was so WRONG that I had to pull out all my best stories to convince them that they should follow my advice instead.

Continue Reading

Maria’s Kitchen Breakfast Nook: Before & After

08/13/2011
29 Comments

Photos by Maria Killam I think everyone should have a whimsical pair of salt & paper shakers like this on their kitchen table. It’s like an accessory and totally appropriate in a kitchen. I bought my sister owls for her new kitchen. I found this carved English pine table on Craigslist for $150. I didn’t…

Continue Reading

‘Must Have’ Tools for Colour Consulting

08/11/2011
22 Comments

In my True Colour Expert Workshops I always ask “Who here thinks I have some kind of magical ability to see colour?” Everyone always looks at me like they’re thinking ‘Really? Is she that arrogant?’ Two or three might raise their hand. Blue gray Calcutta marble countetops, slightly pinky Crema Marfil Tiled Floor & roman…

Continue Reading

How often do you buy Flatware?

08/09/2011
45 Comments

Vintage is really the prettiest (source) So I have a confession. Call me unsophisticated but I had no idea cutlery (which is what I thought it was called) or silverware is actually called flatware. And I’m pretty excited because on the way home from Seattle yesterday we stopped at Crate and Barrel and bought a…

Continue Reading

Facts you may not know about Frank Lloyd Wright

08/08/2011
24 Comments

Apparently one of the biggest attractions in Wisconsin is Frank Lloyd Wrights Residence called the Taliesin Preservation in Spring Green. We arrived at 11:30 am today so we enjoyed brunch first in the Riverview Cafe where I snapped a photo of the centrepiece on each table. I loved how simple and architectural it was. The Valley…

Continue Reading

Colour me Happy and Penelope Trunk

08/06/2011
12 Comments

Here I am in Madison with Penelope Trunk! We emailed back and forth months ago and she invited us to come and visit her and the farmer on the farm in Wisconsin.  The cornfields go on and on here in Madison! We took a walk on the property to find the cows. Along the way, Penelope asked…

Continue Reading

How to Choose the Colour of your Kitchen Appliances

08/04/2011
16 Comments

I get this question a lot along with “Should they all Match?”.  There are many ways to do it but only a few that look good.  There’s white, black, stainless and of course the high end look of paneled appliances.  I’m not even going to mention actual colour options (like bronze) because I think they will…

Continue Reading

Meet my New Design Associate

08/03/2011
22 Comments

pinterest Irene Hill attended my True Colour Expert Workshop this past June in Vancouver. We clicked immediately and I was thrilled to hear she lived in Langley (just a short 1/2 hour drive from me).  Irene is a very talented designer who has done everything from staging to complete home renovations. Irene Hill She has…

Continue Reading

Should you buy a Sofa in Microsuede? Yay or Nay

08/01/2011
69 Comments

I received this question today;  “We are thinking of buying two sofas in microsuede and was shocked to read in your blog that you are very critical of Microsuede. What is the best fabric (not leather, my husband hates it) for households that have animals but want elegant sofas?” source So I replied “I prefer sunbrella…

Continue Reading

Green Exterior with Shutters; Before & After

07/29/2011
14 Comments

I was so happy to receive photos of this eDesign I worked on last Spring! Before My client was originally looking at some muddier greens but I talked her into a fresher colour because I thought it would go better with the cottage feel of the house.   After The field colour is BM Hillside…

Continue Reading

How to Turn Oak Furniture into a Thing of Beauty

07/24/2011
18 Comments

This is William, reading a book while waiting for breakfast! (Photos by Maria Killam) My sister Elizabeth took my mom and me to the Vedder Mountain Grille in Yarrow for breakfast this morning and I immediately loved the country charm, the food and that it was clearly decorated with creativity and an eye for detail….

Continue Reading

Happiness is. . . your LIFE

07/23/2011
17 Comments

pinterest I loved this poster when I found it somewhere on Pinterest (now I don’t know where). I had a new video blog all ready to go with this post today and it was vetoed by my partner. So you’re getting an inspirational pic instead. Sigh. It’s a whole new world, video blogging and apparently…

Continue Reading

Is White Worth the Extra Maintenance? Yay or Nay

07/21/2011
51 Comments

source The other day I received this note: “We had a house built this year and the builder would not install the white cabinets I have always wanted, its a cookie cutter builder who just wasn’t offering that in our neighborhood. To me this was crazy, all I have ever wanted is a beautiful white…

Continue Reading