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Advice for Designers

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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The Quest for the High End Client

09/01/2013
38 Comments

It’s pretty much agreed among most designers that the measure for success seems to be to design for the upscale, high-end client with lots of money. It’s kind of like this, once you get this client, you have hit the pinnacle to some degree. We all know that’s never enough and once you get there,…

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How Often does Lighting Change the Undertone?

02/25/2013
26 Comments

One question I get a lot during my Specify Colour with Confidence Workshops is about lighting, what it does to colour, how to manage that effectively, etc. Basically the answer to that question is this: If you notice that the colour you chose went pink beige (or the wrong beige/grey) in the lighting, the possibility…

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Specify Colour with Confidence

02/05/2013
9 Comments

My February Specify Colour with Confidence workshop starts Wednesday in Vancouver, I’m excited to meet a whole new group of very-soon-to-be True Colour Experts! Source My latest article for Williams-Sonoma Designer Marketplace is Top 5 Colour Mistakes Most Designers Make, check it out here. Related posts: Have you Made these Decorating Mistakes? This Colour Mistake…

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What it Takes to Have a Classic House

01/29/2013
27 Comments

Whether you are shopping for a new house or planning to build your dream home, here are some great examples of what not to do. Sure, you want this next house to create the look and feel you love and but some just don’t have what it takes to be classic house. Keep reading to…

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How to Specify Colour for a Bedroom (and Closet)

01/27/2013
21 Comments

Tracey from Fort Langley was the winner of a brand new custom closet from Designer Closet Guys I Hate My Closet Contest! Her prize included a colour consultation from me so we all arrived together a couple weeks ago to measure up her closet and choose colours. Chris Isfeld, Owner of Designer Closet Guys In…

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How to be Smart in a World of Dumb Designers

01/15/2013
135 Comments

Recently, I received this very generous email from one of my lovely readers (no names will be used here), who said I was welcome to share her story: I have made literally every mistake in the remodeling book! I really do not like to complain, I dislike myself for being negative this way…but my mind cannot…

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The Best Inspiration for Styling a Room for a Photo

11/17/2012
10 Comments

On the third day of my True Colour Expert Workshops we talk about the business of colour. The best way to sell a colour consultation, etc. My advice to any designer setting up a website is NEVER use photos that are not professionally taken. Jeffrey Bilhuber I talked about this here, with some great visuals….

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Is Your Bath Perfect or Just Perfectly Nice?

10/28/2012
19 Comments

Is your bath perfect or just perfectly nice? When done well, a bathroom design will be perfect. You can’t just purchase the perfect bath, it must be created and designed. And, just like any other room in your home, it all starts with inspiration. Source I recently attended an event at  Cantu, a fabulous bathroom…

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Rules for Choosing the Right Colour Quartz Countertop

10/25/2012
16 Comments

House and Home I received some new quartz samples the other day. This is how they were packaged when they arrived. . . Every single sample had to be pried off with a screwdriver and taken out of the packaging. Why? Because it’s virtually impossible to choose the coordinating colour for your walls or cabinets…

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The Rule of More

07/21/2012
22 Comments

source I chose two different faucets for both of Mom’s bathrooms in the carriage house she built last year. Because I’m in her house and see them all the time (different from a client’s home) one day I said to her, I like the faucet downstairs so much better than the one in your master….

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Advice Every Designer Should Give

07/15/2012
8 Comments

I’m featured on Tobi Fairly’s blog today with my expert advice, more on that in a minute! This is my sweet nephew Noah and it’s his birthday, he’s seven! My sister Anita (his Mom) has a stunning brand new white kitchen that I helped her with last summer. The reason why you haven’t seen it on…

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