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Got a Sad Room? How to make it Happy, Easy & Cheap

01/06/2011
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It’s January and either raining (here in Vancouver) or cold and frosty in most parts of the country. The Christmas lights have been put away for another year and it’s time to refresh and update. I just received a timely press release and decided my special article for this months newsletter is a great place…

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Maria’s Guide to Starting a Design Blog

01/02/2011
79 Comments

If you are a decorator/designer/stager and you need more business, (who doesn’t?) a blog is a great advertising medium for you and it’s free—except for your time of course. Writing a design blog on a regular basis also keeps you, the design professional, really current as I mentioned in this post; Why your Designer should…

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The Best of Colour me Happy 2010

12/31/2010
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source It’s almost New Years and I’m off tonight to celebrate. Dinner with friends downtown and a night at the brand new Fairmont Pacific Rim with the love of my life. So here’s the round-up for this years posts that got the most comments, tweets and links in case you missed one:     source…

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Mistakes I’ve learned from in 2010

12/29/2010
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Recently I was interviewed by a local reader who was thinking about opening her own design firm and she asked me a really good question.  ‘What is the scariest part of your job?’  My response was “In the beginning, everything you do (if you haven’t worked in a design firm to get your experience) you…

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How to get Published in 2011, 5 Rules to Follow

12/26/2010
26 Comments

 Interiors by Kelly Wearstler Ever wondered what the definition of News is?  Years ago I read a book called Feeding the Media Beast written by Mark Mathis where I learned what it was. And this morning I opened the latest Veranda magazine for January/February and one of the first stories in the ‘New & Noteworthy’…

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Wishing you a Colourful, Happy Holiday

12/25/2010
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Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.  ~Norman Vincent Peale   I hope your holiday is filled with love and joy.  Thank you so much for reading my blog, for your comments, your support and encouragement all year long. This blog is inspiring for me to…

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The Gift of a Trained Eye this Christmas

12/23/2010
13 Comments

Yesterday I arrived at a consultation. I had been referred by the project manager of a renovation company who would be starting this one right after Christmas (he reads my blog). This company is very organized. They don’t begin construction until their client has signed off on all the finishes. This had been completed one…

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Holiday Mood Lighting Lessons from Twilight

12/22/2010
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  source I was at a Christmas party last weekend hosted by one of my dearest friends Tami Rode, (below). During the evening, I was having a conversation with a guest about Christmas trees and she said “I love mine so much I cry when it comes down in January”. Maria Killam & Tami Rode…

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Giveaway; Document your Dream Vacation

12/17/2010
48 Comments

Have you ever created your own picture book?  Well if you haven’t then post a comment below and follow my blog (you’ll find the follow section on my sidebar close to the top) and you just might win a $75 gift card to create your own photo book with Kodak!  If you have you can…

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5 ways to Balance Bold Colours

12/16/2010
30 Comments

Interior Design by Eileen Kathryn Boyd via Lonny Magazine These tips come to you from Eileen Kathryn Boyd inside Lonny Magazine. I am a huge fan of Eileen’s work and loved her colour tips on balancing bold colours. And if you look at the photos I’m showing and the rest in the magazine, you’ll see…

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How to get a Designer Living Room on a Budget

12/14/2010
42 Comments

 Interior Design by Maria Killam, Photography by Anna Beaudry       Recently I completed this interior for two newlyweds, a Doctor and a Lawyer. Janelle is just finishing her internship in medical school and next year she will be practicing medicine full time. She found my blog and hired me to help her choose…

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My Take on Pantone’s Colour of 2011: Honeysuckle

12/11/2010
28 Comments

The news is out, Honeysuckle is Pantone’s colour of 2011.  Since I’ve been talking about Pink for a while now (and it’s the accent colour in my living room) it’s kind of cool that it’s officially a ‘colour of the year’. Pantone “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is…

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2010 Christmas Tour of my House

12/09/2010
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I love decorating for Christmas, I think winter weather is so tolerable until December because of all the sparkly lights!  This first photo is my dining room (without any art yet).  What I love about the paint colour (BM Natural Linen) is that it really doesn’t change from day to evening (there are so many…

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